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

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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