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CPT 97124: Therapeutic Massage and Soft Tissue Mobilization
CPT code 97124 denotes therapeutic massage techniques used to address muscle tightness, improve circulation, and stimulate soft tissues. Reported in 15-minute units, this code captures hands-on interventions such as effleurage, petrissage, and tapotement performed by qualified therapists in outpatient and ambulatory rehabilitation settings. Nationally, the code is commonly used in conservative musculoskeletal care pathways for conditions that include neck pain, low back pain, myalgia, and unspecified pain.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication provides a concise view of clinical context, coding relationships, and common use cases for 97124. Readers will find benchmarks for utilization and reimbursement patterns, comparisons to related manual therapy services such as 97140, and a summary of common clinical ICD-10 presentations associated with massage therapy.
This overview serves clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts seeking clear guidance on the clinical purpose and typical application settings for CPT code 97124, along with payer coverage considerations and how the code fits into multidisciplinary rehabilitation care.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 97124 represents therapeutic massage techniques applied to muscles and soft tissues to improve circulation, relax muscles, and stimulate tissues. The code covers hands-on massage methods such as effleurage, petrissage, and tapotement, administered by a trained massage therapist or other qualified practitioner.
Service Type: Therapeutic Massage / Soft Tissue Mobilization
Typical Site of Service: Outpatient clinics, rehabilitation facilities, physical therapy offices, and other ambulatory care settings where hands-on therapeutic interventions are provided
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Medicare’s mean rate sits at $30.9, closely aligned with BUCA’s average commercial mean of $39.6, indicating commercial reimbursement for CPT 97124 generally runs modestly higher than Medicare but within a comparable band. Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna show notably higher mean levels ($40.5 and $53.6 respectively), while Aetna and UnitedHealth Group center lower around $26.1 and $35.6, highlighting variation across payers in mean reimbursement.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) is tightest for Medicare at $3 (P75 $32 minus P25 $29) and for UnitedHealth Group at $12.4 (P75 $37.4 minus P25 $25.4), while the widest spreads appear for Cigna ($44.0) and Blue Cross Blue Shield ($25.5). Aetna’s IQR is $10.0 and BUCA’s is $24.7, showing Cigna and BCBS exhibit the greatest variability in mid-range commercial rates.