Radiological supervision and interpretation of a catheter-based contrast study of the thoracic aorta performed without serial imaging.
- Medicare
- $177.36
- Work RVU
- 0.48
- Global, days
- Region
- Other
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Indication for aortography (suspected aortic injury, aneurysm)
- Catheter placement documented separately
- Contrast agent and volume
- Signed interpretation
- Note on whether the study was diagnostic only or part of an intervention
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
75600 is the imaging supervision and interpretation for thoracic aortography done without serialography. It is an interventional radiology or vascular code, not something an orthopedic surgeon performs. Ortho billers will see it on trauma patients, where high-energy injuries like thoracic spine fractures, scapular fractures, and first rib fractures raise concern for aortic injury, though CT angiography has replaced catheter aortography as the first test at most centers.
The code covers only the imaging piece. The catheter placement is billed separately by the interventionalist with the appropriate catheter code. If the aortogram is part of a stent graft repair, the imaging is generally included in the repair code and 75600 is not reported.
For an ortho practice, the practical point is knowing it is not your claim. If a trauma patient's bill shows 75600, it came from IR or vascular, and it should not appear under the orthopedic surgeon's NPI.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (0.48) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (5.31) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 0.48 |
| Practice expense RVU | 4.74 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.09 |
| Total RVU | 5.31 |
| Medicare national rate | $177.36 |
| Global period | days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $177.36 |
HOPD (APC 5183) Hospital outpatient department | $3,225.87 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 75600 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Billed with an endovascular repair code that includes the imaging
- Catheter placement code missing
- Billed under the wrong provider
- Diagnosis does not support aortic imaging
- Billed with 75605 for the same study
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Does an orthopedic surgeon bill 75600?
02What is the difference between 75600 and 75605?
03Is 75600 billed with a thoracic stent graft repair?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe notes capture the injury mechanism and associated fractures in trauma consults, which helps the whole care team document why vascular imaging was needed.
See how Mira captures CPT 75600 documentation