Comparison
Localis vs. the CMS PFS Look-up Tool
CMS's own Physician Fee Schedule Look-up Tool is the free, official source this entire site is computed from — it's not a competitor to avoid, it's the primary source we cite on every page. The comparison below is about what the government tool is built to do (a per-code, per-locality search UI) versus what a billing consultant, practice, or software vendor often also needs (a metered API, a payer-multiplier layer, and a versioned historical archive).
| Feature | Localis | CMS's Physician Fee Schedule Look-up Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free lookups; paid API/dashboard tiers for automation and contracted-rate modeling | Free |
| Code + locality + year lookup | Yes | Yes |
| Programmatic API with auth tokens and metered quotas | Yes — a self-serve free tier, no credit card required | The look-up tool itself is a search UI; CMS separately publishes bulk data files and a distinct API at pfs.data.cms.gov for the underlying dataset |
| Contracted-rate ("% of Medicare") modeling | Yes — a stored payer-multiplier layer on top of the Medicare rate | Not part of the tool's public description — it reports the Medicare amount only |
| Per-figure source citation (file, row, formula) | Yes, on every amount | Not shown in the tool itself |
| Rate-change email alerts | Yes, per code or general digest | Not offered |
Bottom line
If you just need one code's rate for one quarter, the CMS tool is free and authoritative — use it directly. We exist for the layer on top: an API for software that needs rates programmatically, contracted-rate math for consultants and practices, and a versioned archive for anyone who needs to reproduce a past quarter's number.
Look up a rate free, right now
No account, no card, no trial clock. The API is still being built — the pages aren't.
Sources
Feature and pricing claims about CMS's Physician Fee Schedule Look-up Tool reflect their public marketing pages at the time this was written and may have changed — confirm directly with them before deciding.
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