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Describe a service in plain words, or type a CPT/HCPCS code.

Medicare's 500 most-billed CPT codes of 2014

In CY2014 Medicare paid $76.8B across these 500 CPT codes. 99213 (Routine Follow-Up Office Visit) leads every measure: 26.6M beneficiaries and $6.9B allowed. Below the top few the rankings split apart. The codes that reach the most patients are rarely the ones that move the most money.

Allowed
$76.8B
Total Medicare allowed dollars
Services
1.2B
Times these codes were billed
Top 25
57.2%
Share of the allowed dollars
Vintage
CY2014
Medicare fee-for-service only

All 500 codes, ranked Copy link

Sorted by allowed per service. Every code links to its full rate breakdown.

Sort by: Overall rank Beneficiaries Services Allowed dollars Allowed per service
# Code What it is Beneficiaries Services Allowed Per service
145 37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent 14,793 17,512 $132,408,976 $7,561.04
206 37229 Leg Artery Plaque Removal 18,246 22,544 $97,526,740 $4,326.06
143 37225 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Balloon Widening 25,895 30,926 $132,725,096 $4,291.70
290 37241 — 10,340 16,476 $61,277,495 $3,719.20
376 64590 Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Battery Placement 11,164 14,047 $45,575,919 $3,244.53
390 63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement 14,770 20,678 $43,901,834 $2,123.12
586 33430 — 8,496 13,676 $25,733,321 $1,881.64
570 67113 — 10,582 17,553 $27,016,275 $1,539.13
133 36475 Radiofrequency Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 51,789 91,908 $140,921,645 $1,533.29
495 67108 — 13,971 22,161 $32,209,493 $1,453.43
301 67042 — 25,372 41,672 $59,527,364 $1,428.47
273 33405 — 30,087 48,620 $69,028,917 $1,419.76
215 84999 — 55,350 62,161 $86,725,536 $1,395.18
527 67041 — 15,403 22,900 $30,171,629 $1,317.54
200 36478 — 42,240 78,130 $99,265,873 $1,270.52
551 65756 — 11,537 22,416 $28,086,851 $1,252.98
576 66180 — 12,466 21,841 $26,741,777 $1,224.38
574 27487 — 14,367 22,810 $26,827,548 $1,176.13
286 22633 — 32,355 53,265 $62,179,430 $1,167.36
166 33533 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting 64,325 104,627 $118,965,566 $1,137.04
288 22551 Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion 35,356 55,631 $61,829,243 $1,111.42
558 93656 Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation 23,720 25,048 $27,822,801 $1,110.78
175 77301 Intensity-Modulated Radiation Treatment Planning 95,098 105,324 $112,156,177 $1,064.87
172 29827 Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair 60,357 108,862 $112,835,135 $1,036.50
296 36870 — 36,815 59,895 $60,727,264 $1,013.90
198 27245 Surgical Fixation of a Proximal Femur Fracture 78,224 99,375 $100,099,216 $1,007.29
293 23472 Total Shoulder Arthroplasty 38,700 61,208 $61,000,949 $996.62
359 33249 — 49,177 49,696 $48,490,502 $975.74
500 77523 — 1,291 32,898 $32,007,699 $972.94
186 78492 Cardiac PET Scan, Multiple Studies 100,045 107,555 $104,188,540 $968.70
232 67228 — 53,396 82,027 $79,376,075 $967.68
502 37226 — 30,014 33,888 $31,974,478 $943.53
242 27236 — 61,719 83,463 $76,925,935 $921.68
48 27447 Knee Replacement 253,608 423,191 $388,462,923 $917.94
99 27130 Total Hip Arthroplasty 130,563 215,289 $196,514,498 $912.79
320 35301 — 44,004 62,218 $55,722,399 $895.60
501 37221 — 30,992 36,002 $31,981,829 $888.33
316 15260 — 53,416 63,584 $55,856,146 $878.46
397 52601 — 46,932 49,759 $43,275,379 $869.70
160 93229 Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Analysis 142,265 146,521 $124,852,677 $852.11
348 00562 — 53,071 64,547 $50,979,002 $789.80
336 50590 — 50,237 71,581 $52,387,448 $731.86
395 67904 — 29,499 61,665 $43,485,261 $705.19
537 29848 — 23,671 42,005 $29,409,118 $700.13
405 00567 — 49,396 60,864 $42,575,528 $699.52
415 78816 Whole-Body PET/CT Imaging 45,283 60,298 $41,274,199 $684.50
350 29880 — 50,552 75,189 $50,032,653 $665.43
487 92941 — 48,210 50,801 $33,435,487 $658.17
484 91110 — 50,361 52,483 $33,622,425 $640.63
521 63030 — 31,196 48,073 $30,666,519 $637.92
297 29881 — 64,351 93,741 $59,669,411 $636.53
451 47563 — 48,844 59,224 $37,059,379 $625.75
492 19301 — 44,104 52,896 $32,991,269 $623.70
53 78815 PET/CT Scan, Skull Base to Thigh 412,351 591,231 $345,165,395 $583.81
241 47562 — 110,339 134,876 $77,641,859 $575.65
362 49505 — 67,315 83,930 $48,260,813 $575.01
149 92928 Coronary Artery Stent Procedure 193,170 233,082 $131,330,434 $563.45
211 63047 Lumbar Spine Decompression Surgery 101,144 160,523 $89,502,720 $557.57
308 33208 — 105,688 107,006 $56,783,336 $530.66
442 29824 — 40,691 72,150 $37,848,090 $524.58
360 17313 Mohs Surgery on Trunk or Extremities, First Stage 72,444 92,573 $48,476,572 $523.66
58 17311 Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, First Stage 479,169 637,206 $333,005,567 $522.60
434 22842 — 46,558 73,467 $38,384,408 $522.47
287 95951 — 41,731 121,741 $61,989,847 $509.19
513 22840 — 38,307 61,337 $31,201,707 $508.69
403 67210 — 55,634 84,528 $42,695,839 $505.11
587 52224 — 41,720 51,386 $25,705,402 $500.24
553 22845 — 36,326 56,373 $28,037,207 $497.35
252 64721 Open Carpal Tunnel Release 101,295 157,443 $73,997,645 $470.00
563 64633 — 31,956 60,920 $27,349,858 $448.95
177 64635 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Nerve Ablation 125,907 246,687 $110,706,807 $448.77
204 00670 Anesthesia for Spine Surgery 151,315 223,896 $97,721,375 $436.46
84 66982 Complex Cataract Surgery With Lens Implant 159,570 547,857 $234,760,147 $428.51
315 36561 — 126,159 134,663 $55,910,142 $415.19
547 20680 — 50,207 69,653 $28,836,533 $414.00
460 93460 — 91,308 92,628 $36,308,184 $391.98
121 17312 Mohs Surgery, Additional Stage 265,343 455,226 $167,332,353 $367.58
421 28285 — 50,415 111,934 $39,892,355 $356.39
400 77338 — 95,539 126,720 $42,822,240 $337.93
475 19083 — 100,938 104,404 $35,038,327 $335.60
423 26055 — 62,466 118,961 $39,833,173 $334.84
51 45385 Colonoscopy With Polyp Removal 738,389 1,074,588 $359,251,556 $334.32
153 95811 — 343,906 402,428 $125,760,047 $312.50
313 65855 — 103,999 182,812 $56,135,065 $307.06
469 93459 — 108,429 115,669 $35,477,689 $306.72
393 13121 — 121,682 143,666 $43,559,270 $303.20
436 36558 — 108,797 128,192 $38,341,684 $299.10
497 00537 — 71,570 107,652 $32,158,423 $298.73
203 95810 — 297,739 332,849 $97,761,716 $293.71
518 95913 — 97,881 106,307 $30,779,330 $289.53
268 13132 Complex Skin Wound Repair 209,091 246,704 $71,253,662 $288.82
412 77295 — 127,092 147,128 $41,573,134 $282.56
130 93458 Coronary Angiography and Left Heart Catheterization 503,230 526,957 $147,601,670 $280.10
32 90960 Monthly Dialysis Care, Frequent Visits 303,327 2,244,302 $628,507,067 $280.05
325 01214 — 138,344 201,410 $54,759,508 $271.88
453 00630 — 94,004 137,856 $36,991,421 $268.33
580 52281 — 78,452 98,954 $26,498,303 $267.78
329 22851 — 77,989 198,039 $52,856,894 $266.90
9 66984 Cataract Surgery 1,256,348 8,003,565 $2,131,404,379 $266.31
35 78452 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 2,019,390 2,131,595 $559,681,297 $262.56
585 66761 — 48,279 99,507 $25,805,690 $259.34
363 45384 — 134,657 184,211 $47,499,029 $257.85
110 45378 Diagnostic Colonoscopy 535,047 680,916 $175,302,992 $257.45
161 00790 Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Surgery 332,564 488,573 $123,952,444 $253.70
184 01402 Anesthesia for Knee Arthroplasty 275,215 414,890 $104,677,926 $252.30
56 45380 Colonoscopy With Tissue Sampling 948,137 1,352,198 $338,056,189 $250.00
306 12032 Intermediate Skin Wound Repair 207,523 231,607 $57,069,075 $246.40
281 00840 — 185,867 269,272 $64,634,888 $240.04
125 90961 Monthly Dialysis Care, Fewer Visits 229,102 699,989 $164,585,203 $235.13
540 43249 — 85,151 125,377 $29,396,484 $234.46
231 77290 — 250,877 342,167 $79,459,979 $232.23
265 90966 Monthly Home Dialysis Services 45,171 309,378 $71,697,718 $231.75
328 74183 Abdominal MRI With and Without Contrast 192,750 232,725 $53,618,093 $230.39
481 55700 — 128,710 147,914 $33,940,922 $229.46
86 64483 Lumbar or Sacral Transforaminal Epidural Injection 461,276 1,049,696 $233,979,431 $222.90
21 99291 Critical Care 1,717,203 5,289,779 $1,173,830,663 $221.91
444 01230 — 122,180 171,739 $37,835,672 $220.31
311 99496 Transitional Care After Discharge, Prompt Contact 230,809 259,548 $56,736,903 $218.60
429 01844 — 92,907 179,644 $39,042,301 $217.33
305 93351 — 260,162 265,672 $57,483,875 $216.37
398 64490 — 90,916 200,271 $43,251,395 $215.96
474 99236 — 155,052 164,738 $35,160,859 $213.44
506 43248 — 92,490 151,381 $31,761,795 $209.81
447 95911 — 171,387 179,543 $37,498,764 $208.86
470 00320 — 111,123 171,531 $35,406,676 $206.42
478 01630 — 119,566 168,576 $34,355,772 $203.80
77 66821 Laser Treatment of the Posterior Lens Capsule 510,229 1,265,642 $257,624,879 $203.55
150 64493 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Joint Injection 293,734 635,650 $129,062,967 $203.04
8 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit 4,536,837 10,957,673 $2,197,231,726 $200.52
196 31231 Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy 352,660 511,235 $101,837,970 $199.20
34 99205 Longest New Patient Office Visit 2,563,263 2,875,531 $562,656,665 $195.67
410 11750 — 161,910 213,753 $41,621,649 $194.72
331 72158 — 248,101 284,044 $52,776,038 $185.80
104 52000 Diagnostic Cystoscopy 756,184 994,381 $184,702,049 $185.75
504 10061 — 147,067 172,677 $31,949,035 $185.02
98 77427 Radiation Treatment Management 248,804 1,106,590 $202,207,436 $182.73
168 74178 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With and Without Contrast 550,798 645,743 $117,576,237 $182.08
462 90962 — 85,318 199,524 $36,279,926 $181.83
379 11043 Muscle and Fascia Wound Debridement 94,891 251,913 $45,481,205 $180.54
97 99220 — 988,888 1,144,365 $206,133,416 $180.13
457 93975 — 182,370 210,381 $36,765,441 $174.76
566 01922 — 103,845 155,899 $27,143,349 $174.11
319 93978 — 276,090 322,338 $55,800,974 $173.11
117 70553 Brain MRI With and Without Contrast 832,284 1,006,482 $174,044,027 $172.92
12 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency 6,438,938 10,819,984 $1,833,355,875 $169.44
60 43239 Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,332,523 1,934,930 $324,973,979 $167.95
407 00300 — 162,557 253,290 $42,164,112 $166.47
89 99306 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 3 1,039,733 1,346,306 $223,651,652 $166.12
562 95910 — 161,432 165,935 $27,524,096 $165.87
237 99350 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 4 135,134 478,076 $78,665,199 $164.55
387 77263 — 251,483 272,544 $44,289,819 $162.51
188 93925 Bilateral Lower-Extremity Arterial Duplex Study 552,101 653,854 $103,534,529 $158.35
14 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit 7,407,648 9,127,224 $1,436,428,998 $157.38
374 99495 Transitional Care After Discharge 273,782 301,617 $46,269,020 $153.40
441 95819 — 233,359 256,659 $37,974,192 $147.96
389 88368 — 65,209 299,132 $44,084,867 $147.38
511 63048 — 77,078 213,812 $31,359,996 $146.67
189 73721 Lower-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 572,628 705,541 $103,213,972 $146.29
283 43235 — 347,511 435,255 $63,536,750 $145.98
467 17262 — 193,333 245,124 $35,690,046 $145.60
262 73221 Upper-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 405,240 495,075 $71,972,957 $145.38
391 01480 — 193,374 301,848 $43,793,914 $145.09
174 17004 Destruction of Multiple Premalignant Skin Lesions 518,395 778,317 $112,239,715 $144.21
559 11602 — 165,297 194,520 $27,775,566 $142.79
62 92004 New Patient Eye Examination, Comprehensive 2,147,801 2,248,967 $320,486,817 $142.50
371 77280 Radiation Treatment Simulation 183,751 327,114 $46,489,161 $142.12
564 01400 — 139,537 195,581 $27,303,970 $139.60
431 27096 — 184,895 278,864 $38,926,910 $139.59
366 68761 Lacrimal Punctum Closure 153,326 344,758 $47,080,034 $136.56
24 99222 Hospital Admission Visit 3,553,177 6,964,931 $946,124,036 $135.84
258 90792 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation With Medical Services 472,410 541,871 $73,526,319 $135.69
17 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit 5,528,903 9,313,753 $1,259,027,672 $135.18
494 01936 — 125,708 239,975 $32,390,050 $134.97
103 72148 Lumbar Spine MRI Without Contrast 1,210,386 1,380,237 $185,634,023 $134.49
247 99219 — 521,337 577,880 $75,842,834 $131.24
147 99305 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 2 805,699 1,010,581 $132,205,003 $130.82
83 96413 Intravenous Antineoplastic Infusion Administration 251,047 1,893,416 $242,096,924 $127.86
75 00810 — 1,559,905 2,057,469 $259,487,401 $126.12
248 72141 Cervical Spine MRI Without Contrast 529,818 594,360 $74,958,865 $126.12
129 99310 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 4 482,473 1,217,520 $153,248,541 $125.87
251 99183 — 25,231 602,481 $74,946,906 $124.40
472 95816 Electroencephalography Study 261,831 287,437 $35,334,685 $122.93
140 99349 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 3 274,938 1,104,256 $135,507,353 $122.71
299 36556 — 406,235 486,746 $59,552,748 $122.35
542 88367 — 44,042 238,504 $28,966,075 $121.45
13 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient 9,301,322 11,766,901 $1,428,974,745 $121.44
180 90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation 799,244 898,980 $109,025,062 $121.28
339 00400 — 265,980 426,647 $51,440,350 $120.57
26 93306 Heart Ultrasound 6,150,832 7,212,212 $867,552,835 $120.29
458 64636 — 115,027 302,642 $36,340,576 $120.08
94 00740 — 1,103,056 1,752,427 $208,732,092 $119.11
450 01992 — 141,364 312,302 $37,185,550 $119.07
30 99284 Emergency Visit, High Urgency 4,079,312 5,844,382 $663,003,740 $113.44
66 74177 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With Contrast 1,987,332 2,602,516 $294,243,153 $113.06
499 31500 — 248,794 286,510 $32,033,146 $111.80
162 92235 — 469,621 1,104,919 $123,347,372 $111.63
46 90837 Extended Therapy Session 422,515 3,930,208 $432,570,314 $110.06
347 99292 — 246,890 467,368 $51,223,274 $109.60
358 10060 — 390,878 454,879 $49,084,648 $107.91
181 70551 Brain MRI Without Contrast 900,853 1,000,141 $106,142,307 $106.13
278 31575 — 475,243 628,557 $66,657,192 $106.05
90 00142 Anesthesia for Lens Surgery 1,072,284 2,056,972 $218,029,356 $106.00
208 71275 Chest CT Angiography 774,304 872,562 $91,524,255 $104.89
43 99239 Extended Hospital Discharge Visit 2,886,994 4,154,545 $435,295,847 $104.78
520 93312 — 239,817 276,317 $28,941,926 $104.74
71 67028 Intravitreal Medication Injection 534,398 2,625,448 $274,516,748 $104.56
68 93880 Carotid Artery Duplex Study 2,453,935 2,738,471 $283,847,237 $103.65
6 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit 3,511,553 22,054,411 $2,266,293,081 $102.76
557 01810 — 178,923 271,148 $27,861,852 $102.76
455 00910 — 210,759 362,023 $36,808,373 $101.67
15 99203 New Patient Office Visit 8,594,645 10,545,901 $1,071,046,547 $101.56
2 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit 25,629,234 91,484,453 $9,246,504,507 $101.07
446 70544 — 282,636 300,240 $30,177,427 $100.51
106 17110 Destruction of Benign Skin Lesions 1,369,581 1,826,143 $182,715,802 $100.06
549 70498 Neck CT Angiography 213,952 227,285 $22,558,115 $99.25
109 99221 Initial Hospital Care, Level 1 1,351,429 1,819,707 $180,245,051 $99.05
422 99316 — 312,544 341,396 $33,387,127 $97.80
92 74176 Abdomen and Pelvis CT Without Contrast 1,743,347 2,189,494 $211,976,579 $96.82
382 11730 — 340,030 481,905 $45,173,487 $93.74
416 99304 — 322,612 367,039 $33,824,111 $92.15
448 64494 — 258,087 409,019 $37,216,062 $90.99
571 70491 — 199,677 245,483 $21,788,467 $88.76
224 88307 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level V 574,890 923,480 $81,910,482 $88.70
318 93923 — 477,278 572,637 $49,611,411 $86.64
485 88173 — 258,602 353,963 $30,497,745 $86.16
33 92012 Established Patient Eye Examination, Intermediate 3,679,218 6,637,339 $566,474,825 $85.35
28 99309 Extended Nursing Home Visit 1,793,786 8,337,570 $711,577,007 $85.35
356 76830 — 413,073 475,731 $40,509,892 $85.15
352 99348 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 2 217,267 592,229 $49,693,110 $83.91
340 70486 — 444,309 486,174 $40,735,383 $83.79
383 93224 — 379,299 407,443 $34,024,898 $83.51
246 95886 Needle Electromyography Study 530,878 913,752 $75,871,265 $83.03
157 11042 Subcutaneous Tissue Wound Debridement 416,542 1,540,181 $125,197,487 $81.29
120 93970 Bilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,413,205 1,723,591 $139,118,201 $80.71
375 90836 — 114,762 569,757 $45,981,760 $80.70
330 76856 — 455,918 537,082 $42,855,573 $79.79
178 76700 Complete Abdominal Ultrasound 964,609 1,094,400 $86,079,315 $78.65
543 92002 — 219,246 221,508 $17,332,003 $78.25
45 90834 Standard Therapy Session 648,584 5,706,282 $433,550,935 $75.98
515 64484 — 221,933 407,998 $30,959,097 $75.88
250 76536 Neck Soft-Tissue Ultrasound 697,367 813,461 $60,816,467 $74.76
76 92250 Fundus Photography 2,405,244 2,906,980 $215,667,452 $74.19
135 71260 Chest CT With Contrast 1,301,703 1,769,585 $128,792,837 $72.78
345 96401 Subcutaneous or Intramuscular Antineoplastic Injection Administration 135,507 708,289 $51,368,049 $72.52
127 71250 Chest CT Without Contrast 1,364,130 1,736,506 $125,377,781 $72.20
213 90935 — 213,491 1,205,364 $86,954,883 $72.14
538 77002 — 224,500 390,186 $27,925,745 $71.57
4 99232 Daily Hospital Visit 4,957,111 49,055,905 $3,480,864,190 $70.96
463 78306 — 271,434 306,675 $21,661,667 $70.63
67 99238 Hospital Discharge Visit 2,667,795 3,702,525 $261,318,471 $70.58
419 99225 — 321,454 461,582 $32,254,139 $69.88
165 99217 — 1,095,358 1,236,865 $86,391,318 $69.85
480 99315 — 261,382 284,366 $19,800,247 $69.63
61 99202 New Patient Office Visit, Level 2 2,850,154 3,018,513 $207,066,785 $68.60
1 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit 26,647,462 100,610,832 $6,888,374,789 $68.47
428 88331 — 300,236 537,790 $36,802,054 $68.43
219 96365 Intravenous Therapeutic Infusion Administration 280,119 1,261,502 $85,229,760 $67.56
163 93015 Complete Cardiovascular Stress Test 1,098,703 1,133,837 $76,401,052 $67.38
156 76770 Complete Retroperitoneal Ultrasound 1,125,430 1,294,648 $86,125,946 $66.52
27 99308 Nursing Home Visit 2,092,059 11,083,446 $726,185,667 $65.52
560 73700 — 207,154 233,222 $15,235,209 $65.32
386 72131 Lumbar Spine CT Without Contrast 374,209 413,646 $25,526,357 $61.71
74 92083 Comprehensive Visual Field Examination 2,425,529 2,837,126 $173,431,689 $61.13
154 76942 — 1,171,072 1,966,947 $120,067,250 $61.04
239 90833 Psychotherapy With Evaluation and Management 355,718 1,280,402 $78,076,613 $60.98
536 96417 — 88,187 491,566 $29,511,341 $60.04
138 90832 Brief Therapy Session 386,818 2,301,062 $135,973,201 $59.09
47 17000 Precancerous Skin Spot Removal 3,606,566 5,378,106 $317,052,453 $58.95
274 93922 — 578,619 705,087 $41,531,668 $58.90
69 99283 Emergency Department Visit, Level 3 2,587,229 3,536,661 $207,865,138 $58.77
50 20610 Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 2,914,222 6,268,558 $362,696,480 $57.86
176 92136 Ophthalmic Biometry for Intraocular Lens Planning 987,305 1,649,503 $95,275,844 $57.76
171 11056 Paring of Multiple Benign Foot Lesions 812,001 1,985,352 $113,544,859 $57.19
466 76519 — 268,131 421,652 $23,968,083 $56.84
185 88312 Special Stain for Microorganisms 946,973 1,620,882 $91,485,642 $56.44
292 97597 — 353,042 1,085,789 $61,270,793 $56.43
192 88185 — 76,548 1,854,689 $102,898,162 $55.48
561 78582 — 204,008 218,213 $12,020,595 $55.09
210 72125 Cervical Spine CT Without Contrast 836,984 950,155 $50,904,592 $53.58
321 20550 — 474,848 773,985 $40,239,335 $51.99
302 36620 — 504,260 559,883 $28,964,522 $51.73
277 98942 — 165,959 1,310,751 $66,660,102 $50.86
279 77003 — 571,608 965,438 $47,330,592 $49.02
23 88305 Biopsy Tissue Examination 7,446,337 19,000,625 $917,720,918 $48.30
539 20552 — 222,687 348,454 $16,345,149 $46.91
519 64450 — 140,304 655,534 $30,732,565 $46.88
126 93971 Unilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,364,396 1,728,202 $80,389,230 $46.52
220 77300 — 282,191 1,816,667 $84,378,031 $46.45
173 94060 Bronchodilator Responsiveness Testing 1,005,040 1,220,346 $56,554,542 $46.34
151 69210 Impacted Earwax Removal 1,239,036 1,565,011 $72,336,656 $46.22
314 11055 — 482,106 917,128 $41,812,950 $45.59
486 83698 — 258,438 344,488 $15,622,405 $45.35
404 20605 — 345,644 496,175 $22,130,367 $44.60
269 83880 Natriuretic Peptide Test 621,168 960,404 $42,610,868 $44.37
514 87621 — 241,997 256,755 $11,366,998 $44.27
78 92134 Retina Scan 2,381,312 5,401,525 $238,691,067 $44.19
264 76775 — 637,838 719,306 $31,406,559 $43.66
59 11721 Debridement of Multiple Nails 2,832,853 7,594,674 $330,461,242 $43.51
132 99307 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 1 1,018,590 3,333,689 $143,466,844 $43.04
87 92133 Optic Nerve Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography 2,105,286 2,354,074 $99,626,708 $42.32
468 20600 — 266,911 408,465 $17,075,883 $41.81
534 77057 — 226,044 236,284 $9,874,249 $41.79
44 70450 Head CT Without Contrast 3,738,721 5,511,599 $229,875,341 $41.71
342 83704 — 431,994 599,350 $24,925,303 $41.59
16 99212 Brief Follow-Up Office Visit 8,424,328 15,856,104 $642,144,050 $40.50
199 76705 Limited Abdominal Ultrasound 902,706 1,036,463 $41,714,323 $40.25
401 99282 — 351,517 410,386 $16,229,318 $39.55
245 88112 Cytopathology Examination 723,807 1,148,504 $45,196,906 $39.35
38 98941 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation, Multiple Regions 1,381,397 13,055,577 $511,167,096 $39.15
40 82306 Vitamin D Blood Test 4,370,748 5,997,461 $233,719,393 $38.97
49 99231 Subsequent Hospital Care, Level 1 2,273,211 9,815,024 $375,400,394 $38.25
170 92557 Comprehensive Hearing Assessment 1,035,511 1,126,037 $42,156,010 $37.44
217 88313 Special Histochemical Stain 803,016 1,785,062 $63,475,240 $35.56
572 88108 — 198,666 278,439 $9,639,700 $34.62
197 94729 Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity Test 905,538 994,492 $34,007,799 $34.20
228 84403 Total Testosterone Test 775,703 1,147,592 $39,141,763 $34.11
529 88175 — 229,844 243,181 $8,257,072 $33.95
516 84402 — 241,427 324,929 $10,955,659 $33.72
343 97113 — 65,939 1,541,837 $51,385,893 $33.33
284 94726 Pulmonary Lung Volume Study 539,660 586,230 $19,390,890 $33.08
414 94727 — 326,348 355,483 $11,628,132 $32.71
195 11720 Debridement of Nails 915,285 2,214,385 $70,207,666 $31.71
291 92225 — 529,902 883,862 $27,879,960 $31.54
73 97530 Daily-Activity Therapy 708,539 8,347,410 $262,430,951 $31.44
82 77080 Central Bone Density Study 2,279,315 2,368,493 $72,909,511 $30.78
443 73565 — 284,196 329,515 $10,005,796 $30.37
194 94010 Spirometry 917,577 1,263,773 $37,995,578 $30.07
80 97112 Balance and Coordination Therapy 793,133 8,495,534 $254,450,921 $29.95
209 72110 Multi-View Lumbar Spine Radiograph 848,695 939,615 $28,070,417 $29.87
523 97535 Self-Care and Home Management Training 232,949 1,005,741 $29,884,839 $29.71
212 92226 — 834,078 2,234,346 $66,047,225 $29.56
426 74230 — 306,246 364,971 $10,755,186 $29.47
334 96367 — 175,033 1,799,811 $52,700,920 $29.28
370 72050 — 391,058 426,671 $12,396,259 $29.05
417 93320 — 322,044 349,805 $10,008,775 $28.61
187 73564 Complete Knee Radiograph Study 940,103 1,262,972 $35,932,495 $28.45
233 92020 Gonioscopy 767,700 873,823 $24,515,307 $28.06
113 98940 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation 854,800 6,414,976 $174,589,825 $27.22
556 96415 — 143,610 1,030,588 $27,873,583 $27.05
19 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises 2,223,755 45,313,118 $1,204,264,123 $26.58
392 93227 — 361,720 397,328 $10,366,786 $26.09
445 94762 — 284,146 317,135 $8,261,146 $26.05
118 73562 Knee Radiograph 1,477,280 2,147,353 $55,910,473 $26.04
116 83925 — 942,797 6,791,511 $174,533,747 $25.70
384 86334 Immunofixation Electrophoresis 377,510 577,697 $14,828,786 $25.67
439 82378 — 290,335 628,611 $15,888,035 $25.27
477 84154 — 262,174 329,075 $8,062,655 $24.50
79 84153 Prostate-Specific Antigen Test 2,304,124 3,295,304 $80,642,536 $24.47
583 90853 — 68,233 1,106,381 $26,026,751 $23.52
64 96372 Therapeutic Injection Administration 2,714,156 9,070,175 $212,483,264 $23.43
41 97140 Hands-On Physical Therapy 1,624,617 21,165,852 $493,936,369 $23.34
261 83805 — 649,787 1,586,194 $36,970,525 $23.31
548 86235 — 215,163 1,084,738 $25,165,453 $23.20
309 73620 — 499,304 750,723 $17,159,966 $22.86
406 77001 — 344,666 437,745 $9,910,400 $22.64
413 83090 — 327,891 422,838 $9,524,379 $22.52
544 73100 — 215,953 353,110 $7,939,885 $22.49
424 90471 — 306,392 335,296 $7,511,218 $22.40
11 84443 Thyroid Blood Test 10,061,971 15,262,041 $341,480,340 $22.37
294 72040 — 526,277 654,657 $14,484,831 $22.13
438 97116 Gait Training 203,144 1,734,811 $38,338,473 $22.10
108 72100 Lumbar Spine Radiograph 1,611,099 2,015,590 $44,472,341 $22.06
471 83861 — 265,786 673,696 $14,832,873 $22.02
105 73630 Foot Radiograph 1,619,448 2,498,136 $54,743,272 $21.91
255 73110 Wrist Radiograph 671,843 1,010,091 $22,059,749 $21.84
452 73140 — 279,925 370,136 $8,057,863 $21.77
235 84481 Free Triiodothyronine Test 767,432 1,104,673 $23,991,091 $21.72
496 92550 — 250,533 271,180 $5,820,897 $21.47
218 83840 — 796,344 2,409,315 $51,685,211 $21.45
483 96375 — 190,546 1,578,907 $33,803,740 $21.41
159 93016 Cardiovascular Stress Test Supervision 1,111,188 1,146,241 $24,527,254 $21.40
582 86800 — 194,519 248,860 $5,215,928 $20.96
365 82274 — 402,185 437,171 $9,047,629 $20.70
122 73560 Limited Knee Radiograph Study 1,409,940 2,086,300 $42,793,297 $20.51
96 73030 Shoulder Radiograph 1,820,780 2,532,362 $51,420,703 $20.31
57 82607 Vitamin B12 Laboratory Test 2,919,681 3,840,043 $77,162,175 $20.09
435 72070 — 297,670 340,835 $6,839,445 $20.07
205 73610 Ankle Radiograph 859,260 1,279,081 $25,208,343 $19.71
581 73120 — 194,605 293,403 $5,727,547 $19.52
102 82746 Folate Laboratory Test 1,671,007 2,148,852 $41,821,314 $19.46
227 73130 Hand Radiograph 778,592 1,079,101 $20,851,778 $19.32
493 86376 — 251,970 299,766 $5,770,806 $19.25
565 73600 — 202,743 278,480 $5,337,153 $19.17
479 71101 — 261,736 284,637 $5,420,521 $19.04
101 99211 Established Patient Office Visit, Level 1 1,686,739 5,362,915 $101,933,715 $19.01
312 86803 — 487,016 568,494 $10,758,075 $18.92
137 51798 Bladder Residual Urine Measurement 1,289,304 2,018,694 $37,793,444 $18.72
263 84480 — 641,371 896,515 $16,765,072 $18.70
569 86225 — 200,829 247,265 $4,508,605 $18.23
111 82728 Ferritin Laboratory Test 1,552,661 2,512,726 $45,512,795 $18.11
579 82610 — 195,431 315,764 $5,710,797 $18.09
449 92285 — 280,654 340,636 $6,148,021 $18.05
201 88304 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level III 898,882 1,081,078 $19,491,627 $18.03
530 71100 — 229,251 256,781 $4,605,157 $17.93
353 73500 — 414,381 541,727 $9,520,323 $17.57
491 83695 — 252,127 329,475 $5,700,419 $17.30
337 86141 — 448,860 586,217 $10,125,328 $17.27
584 83520 — 193,486 683,573 $11,779,937 $17.23
528 86200 — 230,566 255,294 $4,395,900 $17.22
349 94640 — 418,741 623,884 $10,682,998 $17.12
310 74022 — 497,034 623,602 $10,659,068 $17.09
437 73080 — 290,676 355,385 $6,026,647 $16.96
115 72170 Pelvis Radiograph 1,482,731 1,900,623 $31,811,345 $16.74
22 93000 Heart Tracing 7,546,448 11,439,970 $190,368,399 $16.64
567 72072 — 202,156 218,002 $3,555,628 $16.31
253 84165 Serum Protein Electrophoresis 677,326 1,013,839 $16,496,308 $16.27
326 76937 — 458,413 583,470 $9,420,601 $16.15
249 86038 Antinuclear Antibody Test 700,696 805,188 $12,940,793 $16.07
396 87804 Influenza Antigen Test 353,490 626,382 $9,599,755 $15.33
454 83525 — 278,899 387,540 $5,873,827 $15.16
381 87880 Streptococcus Antigen Test 379,358 422,085 $6,384,055 $15.13
461 73060 — 273,612 372,985 $5,508,667 $14.77
482 83516 — 259,033 526,286 $7,612,668 $14.46
259 92567 Tympanometry 652,309 740,726 $10,580,190 $14.28
141 93018 Cardiovascular Stress Test Interpretation 1,277,965 1,325,154 $18,905,395 $14.27
385 82055 — 375,431 962,208 $13,636,458 $14.17
355 76514 — 413,922 440,455 $6,214,617 $14.11
10 80061 Cholesterol Blood Panel 12,674,471 19,889,994 $278,328,402 $13.99
378 73590 — 384,866 511,531 $7,000,728 $13.69
503 87340 — 247,036 268,564 $3,638,837 $13.55
575 73090 — 198,489 239,680 $3,166,015 $13.21
507 99406 — 246,752 370,606 $4,841,459 $13.06
289 88311 — 533,388 645,397 $8,348,116 $12.93
25 83036 Average Blood Sugar Test 7,292,000 13,698,411 $176,582,627 $12.89
223 83721 — 784,825 1,173,799 $14,770,498 $12.58
351 51741 — 416,820 556,833 $6,861,935 $12.32
229 95165 Allergen Immunotherapy Preparation 189,345 6,573,509 $79,567,547 $12.10
54 84439 Free T4 Thyroid Test 3,234,126 4,741,339 $56,654,479 $11.95
267 87070 — 631,613 803,163 $9,208,231 $11.46
131 83550 Iron-Binding Capacity Test 1,344,998 2,102,432 $23,985,554 $11.41
107 87186 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing 1,614,725 2,868,335 $32,574,437 $11.36
5 80053 Full Metabolic Blood Panel 14,142,955 28,406,713 $309,834,913 $10.91
545 83718 — 215,738 325,671 $3,547,171 $10.89
55 87086 Urine Culture 2,987,519 5,104,822 $54,772,546 $10.73
112 87088 Urine Culture Identification 1,530,434 2,470,097 $25,982,383 $10.52
332 97035 — 451,341 2,941,698 $30,529,133 $10.38
136 87077 Microorganism Identification From Culture 1,298,186 2,062,139 $21,270,504 $10.31
7 85025 Blood Cell Count With Differential 13,306,608 30,480,535 $312,159,848 $10.24
304 80069 Renal Function Panel 502,392 1,009,417 $10,304,055 $10.21
327 11719 — 457,048 1,223,974 $12,489,574 $10.20
37 80048 Basic Metabolic Blood Panel 4,460,798 8,210,622 $77,918,439 $9.49
272 84311 — 579,360 1,555,683 $14,434,216 $9.28
65 17003 Additional Premalignant Skin Lesion Destruction 2,706,636 17,459,537 $161,806,887 $9.27
144 84436 Total Thyroxine Test 1,264,142 1,709,783 $15,423,771 $9.02
373 83690 — 390,273 492,926 $4,444,363 $9.02
344 93325 Echocardiographic Color Flow Mapping 431,134 487,984 $4,318,661 $8.85
114 83735 Magnesium Laboratory Test 1,518,466 2,855,101 $25,220,788 $8.83
361 82150 — 405,285 522,714 $4,508,459 $8.63
85 85027 Blood Cell Count 2,219,077 3,552,325 $30,135,854 $8.48
20 93010 Heart Tracing Reading 8,105,513 18,820,732 $159,097,188 $8.45
257 84479 — 658,959 894,140 $7,535,744 $8.43
100 83540 Iron Laboratory Test 1,705,288 2,704,173 $22,772,826 $8.42
364 85730 — 404,944 597,291 $4,763,924 $7.98
369 93005 — 396,330 463,757 $3,586,329 $7.73
298 86431 — 516,811 593,744 $4,491,060 $7.56
123 80076 Hepatic Function Panel 1,401,031 2,215,064 $16,486,963 $7.44
420 93042 — 312,608 542,419 $3,917,991 $7.22
72 82043 Urine Albumin Test 2,436,556 3,232,174 $22,760,888 $7.04
52 82570 Urine Creatinine Test 3,472,242 6,026,713 $41,159,587 $6.83
158 86140 C-Reactive Protein Test 1,122,942 1,943,290 $13,167,965 $6.78
282 95004 — 180,799 10,087,610 $63,569,790 $6.30
505 86592 — 246,946 280,548 $1,590,310 $5.67
459 87205 — 274,794 356,375 $1,957,070 $5.49
473 85045 — 262,835 360,949 $1,922,485 $5.33
338 82044 — 446,277 582,092 $3,072,682 $5.28
93 85610 Prothrombin Time Test 1,973,315 16,579,188 $86,697,468 $5.23
577 88300 — 196,545 221,335 $1,127,164 $5.09
307 84156 Urine Protein Test 502,176 828,382 $4,037,468 $4.87
128 82550 Creatine Kinase Test 1,355,378 2,085,707 $9,983,590 $4.79
225 85651 — 783,964 1,278,542 $6,018,137 $4.71
399 80051 — 351,854 530,313 $2,306,136 $4.35
36 81001 Urine Test With Microscope Exam 4,483,485 7,236,856 $30,468,274 $4.21
119 81000 — 1,427,475 2,485,315 $10,411,663 $4.19
152 84460 Alanine Aminotransferase Test 1,181,092 2,646,841 $11,056,925 $4.18
270 82270 — 592,670 623,332 $2,536,005 $4.07
167 82947 — 1,061,731 2,052,178 $7,994,492 $3.90
222 83615 Lactate Dehydrogenase Test 785,991 1,773,965 $6,723,699 $3.79
88 84550 Uric Acid Laboratory Test 2,091,826 3,386,545 $12,384,704 $3.66
139 85652 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Test 1,280,564 1,970,394 $7,089,245 $3.60
63 81002 Manual Urinalysis 2,746,862 4,351,564 $14,618,738 $3.36
341 84132 — 433,026 663,647 $2,147,988 $3.24
317 82977 — 478,614 850,235 $2,743,468 $3.23
148 82565 Blood Creatinine Test 1,241,917 1,965,033 $6,210,540 $3.16
524 85014 — 231,571 425,672 $1,340,165 $3.15
402 85018 — 350,380 663,293 $2,083,627 $3.14
418 84478 — 321,858 462,717 $1,433,524 $3.10
243 82962 — 733,762 2,128,747 $6,508,163 $3.06
191 84100 Phosphorus Laboratory Test 919,067 1,760,994 $5,283,701 $3.00
42 81003 Automated Urinalysis 3,928,215 6,589,171 $19,611,590 $2.98
3 36415 Blood Draw 18,234,021 56,528,139 $165,638,306 $2.93
324 82310 — 468,055 652,840 $1,891,419 $2.90
510 82465 — 245,002 348,318 $965,183 $2.77
333 84155 — 450,182 609,394 $1,648,983 $2.71
190 84450 — 938,289 1,476,653 $3,660,976 $2.48
179 82248 Direct Bilirubin Test 951,884 1,462,512 $3,103,034 $2.12
380 82040 — 380,347 596,690 $1,206,244 $2.02
240 84520 — 757,222 1,133,448 $2,239,017 $1.98
526 84295 — 230,652 366,094 $683,181 $1.87
388 84075 — 370,009 549,060 $923,816 $1.68
432 82247 — 298,192 540,086 $894,939 $1.66

Beneficiary counts apply to one code at a time. A patient who received two of these codes is counted under both, so the column cannot be added up into a number of people. Rank is each code's position among all 7,775 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2014, so the column skips a number wherever a code we don't yet cover sits.

Which codes bring in the most Medicare money? Copy link

Spending is heavily concentrated. The top 25 codes carry 57.2% of the $76.8B these 500 codes account for.

  1. 1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit $9.2B
  2. 2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit $6.9B
  3. 3 99232 Daily Hospital Visit $3.5B
  4. 4 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit $2.3B
  5. 5 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit $2.2B
  6. 6 66984 Cataract Surgery $2.1B
  7. 7 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency $1.8B
  8. 8 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit $1.4B
  9. 9 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient $1.4B
  10. 10 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit $1.3B

Why the most common codes aren't the most expensive Copy link

Rank the same 500 codes by patients and then by dollars, and the two lists disagree. A cheap service given to millions and a costly one given to thousands can land far apart depending on which question you ask.

Many patients, little money
82248 Direct Bilirubin Test
By beneficiaries
#118
By allowed dollars
#480
Per service
$2.12
Few patients, lots of money
37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent
By beneficiaries
#490
By allowed dollars
#94
Per service
$7,561.04

What this data covers—and what it doesn't Copy link

These are CY2014 Medicare fee-for-service totals at the national level. Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial volume are excluded, so real-world use of every code here runs higher than the numbers show.

Beneficiary counts belong to a single code. Summing that column would count the same patient once for every code they received, so this page never totals it or calls it a patient count.

The shortlist covers numeric CPT codes. Drug codes and HCPCS Level II are left out on purpose. Drug codes are billed per unit, which makes service counts incomparable, and HCPCS Level II codes already carry CMS-owned descriptions.

How the ranking is built Copy link

A code's overall position is its best standing across two measures: unique beneficiaries served and total allowed dollars. Ranking on either one alone buries half the story—beneficiaries favor cheap high-volume tests, dollars favor expensive procedures. Sort the table by a single measure to see each view on its own. The ranking spans all 7,775 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2014; this table shows the top 500 we cover.

Source: CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners—by Geography and Service, national rows, CY2014. This is a calendar-year snapshot on its own publication cycle, separate from the quarterly fee schedule that produces the rates on each code page. Full methodology.

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