CPT 73620 Foot X‑Ray Two Views Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 73620: Foot X‑Ray, Two Views

CPT code 73620 records a two‑view radiographic evaluation of the foot used to assess injury, fracture, arthritis, tumor, or congenital abnormality. As a routine diagnostic plain‑film study, it is commonly ordered in emergency, orthopaedic, and outpatient settings to establish acute pathology or to monitor known structural conditions. Nationally, this basic imaging service is a frequent entry point for foot complaints and can affect downstream imaging, specialist referral, and treatment decisions.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find concise clinical context for when 73620 is used, typical sites of service, and commonly associated operational considerations for billing and workflow. The publication also outlines benchmarking and policy context where available, and highlights what is and is not available in the input data.

This resource is designed for clinicians, coding professionals, and revenue cycle staff seeking a clear, national‑level reference for CPT code 73620, including service definition, typical use cases, and payer coverage scope. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare73620CPTfoot x-rayradiologydiagnostic imagingplain filmorthopedicsemergency medicine

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 73620 describes a diagnostic radiographic procedure consisting of two views of the foot. The examination is used to evaluate injury, fracture, arthritis, tumor, or congenital abnormality of the foot.

Service type: Diagnostic radiology — plain film, extremity (foot)

Typical site of service: Radiology suite, hospital outpatient department, freestanding imaging center, or physician office equipped for X‑ray

Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD‑10 diagnoses, and related codes.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 28-year-old recreational soccer player presents to an outpatient orthopedics clinic after inverting his right foot during a match. He has focal lateral foot pain, swelling, and difficulty bearing weight. The clinician performs a focused history and physical exam and orders foot radiographs to evaluate for fracture, dislocation, or osseous abnormality. A two-view foot X-ray is obtained using 73620 (AP and lateral or oblique and lateral depending on positioning) in the radiology suite or on the same-day imaging room within the clinic. Images are reviewed by the interpreting provider (radiologist or orthopedic surgeon) for acute fracture, alignment, foreign body, or degenerative changes. Findings guide next steps such as immobilization, further imaging (e.g., CT or MRI), referral, or conservative management. Typical sites of service are outpatient imaging centers, hospital outpatient departments, emergency departments, and office-based radiology suites. The service type is diagnostic radiographic imaging of the foot (two views).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	When billing for the interpreting physician’s reading/separate professional component in a split-billing scenario

Related Codes

CPT-73521-BILATERAL-HIP-X-RAY-TWO-VIEWS

CPT 73521: Bilateral Hip X‑Ray, Two Views Each

CPT-73502-HIP-XRAY-TWO-THREE-PROJECTIONS

CPT 73502: Hip X‑ray, Two or Three Projections

CPT-73503-HIP-XRAY-MULTIPLE-PROJECTIONS-UNILATERAL

CPT 73503: Unilateral Hip X‑ray, Minimum Four Projections

CPT-73719-MRI-LOWER-EXTREMITY-WITH-CONTRAST-NON-JOINT

CPT 73719: MRI of Lower Extremity (Non-Joint) With Contrast

CPT-73720-MRI-LOWER-EXTREMITY-NON-JOINT-WITH-AND-WITHOUT-CONTRAST

CPT 73720: MRI of Lower Extremity, Non-Joint, Without and With Contrast

CPT-73630-FOOT-RADIOGRAPHY-THREE-VIEWS

CPT 73630: Foot Radiography, Minimum Three Views

CPT-73522-BILATERAL-HIP-X-RAYS-MULTIPLE-PROJECTIONS

CPT 73522: Bilateral Hip X‑Rays, Multiple Projections

CPT-73650-CALCANEUS-XRAY-TWO-VIEWS

CPT 73650: Calcaneus X‑ray, Minimum Two Views

CPT-73592-INFANT-LOWER-EXTREMITY-XRAY-MULTIPLE-VIEWS

CPT 73592: Infant Lower Extremity X‑ray, Two or More Views

CPT-73700-CT-LOWER-EXTREMITY-NON-CONTRAST

CPT 73700: CT Scan of Lower Extremity, Non-Contrast

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TC

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207X00000X`	Orthopedic Surgery	Orthopedists commonly order and interpret foot radiographs for acute injury and pre/postoperative assessment
`207Q00000X`	Podiatry	Podiatrists frequently perform and interpret foot X-rays in office-based settings
`2080P0004X`	Diagnostic Radiology	Radiologists provide official interpretation and formal report for imaging studies
`163W00000X`	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians often order `73620` for acute foot trauma presentations

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S92.301A`	Unspecified fracture of right foot, initial encounter for closed fracture	Common acute indication prompting two-view foot radiographs to confirm fracture and guide management
`S92.302A`	Unspecified fracture of left foot, initial encounter for closed fracture	Left-sided counterpart used when the left foot is injured and requires radiographic evaluation
`M20.1`	Hallux valgus (acquired)	Structural deformities such as bunions are evaluated radiographically for surgical planning and severity assessment
`M77.31`	Calcaneal spur, right foot	Lateral and axial imaging of the foot can document osseous spurs associated with plantar fasciitis or heel pain
`M25.571`	Pain in right ankle and joints of right foot	Non-specific foot pain is a frequent reason to obtain foot X-rays to exclude acute osseous pathology
`W00.8XXA`	Fall on same level from slipping, initial encounter	Mechanism codes often accompany injury visits and radiographs when documenting trauma context
`R26.89`	Other abnormalities of gait and mobility	Radiographs may be part of evaluation when structural foot pathology contributes to gait disturbance

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`73630`	Radiologic examination, ankle; 2 views	Performed when ankle injury is suspected in addition to foot views; may be ordered alongside `73620` for adjacent joint evaluation
`73610`	Radiologic examination, foot; complete, minimum of 3 views	Used when a more comprehensive foot evaluation is required beyond two views; may replace or follow `73620` if additional views are indicated
`72192`	Radiologic examination, pelvis; 2 or 3 views	Employed less commonly but may be used if pelvic/hip extension of injury is suspected or for comparison in multi-region trauma
`73620`	Radiologic examination, foot; 2 views	Primary diagnostic code for two-view foot radiographs used to assess fracture, arthritis, or deformity
`73560`	Radiologic examination, lower extremity, single view, femur	May be part of multi-level extremity imaging in complex trauma cases involving the entire lower limb