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

Medicare's 500 most-billed CPT codes of 2016

In CY2016 Medicare paid $79.2B across these 500 CPT codes. 99214 (Long Follow-Up Office Visit) leads every measure: 26.4M beneficiaries and $10.0B 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
$79.2B
Total Medicare allowed dollars
Services
1.3B
Times these codes were billed
Top 25
57.2%
Share of the allowed dollars
Vintage
CY2016
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
125 37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent Retired after Q4 2025 16,103 19,178 $167,889,217 $8,754.26
101 37225 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Balloon Widening Retired after Q4 2025 31,581 37,732 $188,610,489 $4,998.69
141 37229 Leg Artery Plaque Removal Retired after Q4 2025 21,924 28,129 $137,852,408 $4,900.72
153 63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement 20,590 31,038 $133,078,374 $4,287.60
422 37241 — 8,259 11,259 $39,120,947 $3,474.64
363 64590 Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Battery Placement 11,997 15,145 $45,892,840 $3,030.23
371 22514 — 24,292 26,485 $45,113,278 $1,703.35
412 22513 — 21,465 24,264 $40,637,315 $1,674.80
123 36475 Radiofrequency Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 65,323 118,643 $168,534,344 $1,420.52
306 33405 — 25,390 40,742 $56,944,637 $1,397.69
447 65778 Ocular Surface Amniotic Membrane Placement 18,406 26,869 $36,826,757 $1,370.60
512 77373 — 4,844 23,126 $30,798,974 $1,331.79
500 67108 — 15,572 24,880 $31,908,668 $1,282.50
317 67042 — 26,926 44,396 $54,836,977 $1,235.18
510 65756 — 12,388 24,974 $30,825,011 $1,234.28
489 37226 — Retired after Q4 2025 24,887 27,736 $33,184,309 $1,196.43
267 22633 — 35,935 58,844 $70,238,364 $1,193.64
257 22551 Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion 39,519 62,941 $73,787,077 $1,172.32
548 27487 — 14,783 23,628 $27,657,709 $1,170.55
208 36478 — 43,829 85,696 $98,226,500 $1,146.22
169 33533 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting 64,290 103,922 $118,583,149 $1,141.08
308 33249 — 48,983 49,728 $56,613,067 $1,138.45
417 93656 Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation 33,889 35,383 $39,997,550 $1,130.42
162 29827 Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair 65,292 120,175 $124,581,954 $1,036.67
520 37228 — Retired after Q4 2025 25,177 29,020 $29,632,526 $1,021.11
474 37221 — Retired after Q4 2025 29,840 33,950 $34,572,359 $1,018.33
289 36870 — Retired after Q4 2016 36,523 59,320 $60,289,354 $1,016.34
359 77523 — 1,894 46,008 $46,263,527 $1,005.55
193 27245 Surgical Fixation of a Proximal Femur Fracture 80,650 103,616 $103,485,375 $998.74
165 77301 Intensity-Modulated Radiation Treatment Planning 109,918 121,879 $121,676,053 $998.33
247 23472 Total Shoulder Arthroplasty 48,459 77,598 $76,272,530 $982.92
158 78492 Cardiac PET Scan, Multiple Studies 119,853 130,630 $126,982,768 $972.08
106 93229 Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Analysis 189,683 195,627 $186,473,138 $953.21
259 27236 — 58,519 80,020 $72,920,394 $911.28
44 27447 Knee Replacement 280,557 475,766 $430,252,504 $904.34
91 27130 Total Hip Arthroplasty 146,441 244,597 $221,027,873 $903.64
341 35301 — 39,939 56,004 $50,154,830 $895.56
376 52601 — 47,167 50,046 $44,555,514 $890.29
295 15260 — 55,439 65,903 $58,662,986 $890.14
428 33361 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement 24,123 44,299 $38,749,235 $874.72
324 50590 — 49,893 70,628 $53,416,282 $756.30
391 00562 — 47,121 57,952 $43,251,903 $746.34
332 29880 — 48,672 72,704 $52,259,033 $718.79
492 63030 — 29,643 46,996 $32,476,179 $691.04
277 29881 — 63,499 92,863 $63,674,149 $685.68
378 00567 — 52,839 65,814 $44,287,373 $672.92
387 67904 — 30,448 64,406 $43,304,992 $672.38
501 92941 — 45,109 46,885 $31,336,447 $668.37
472 47563 — 45,100 54,610 $34,572,939 $633.09
434 19301 — 50,013 60,587 $38,233,075 $631.04
485 91110 — 51,602 53,734 $33,331,788 $620.31
396 78816 Whole-Body PET/CT Imaging 51,895 69,283 $42,585,959 $614.67
195 63047 Lumbar Spine Decompression Surgery 106,237 169,430 $101,490,528 $599.01
232 47562 — 109,919 133,928 $78,588,734 $586.80
374 49505 — 61,842 77,484 $44,798,829 $578.17
545 29848 — 27,464 48,418 $27,778,036 $573.71
296 33208 — 102,819 104,145 $58,561,017 $562.30
139 92928 Coronary Artery Stent Procedure 205,041 251,258 $140,942,241 $560.95
212 95951 — Retired after Q4 2019 55,829 161,526 $90,150,111 $558.12
57 78815 PET/CT Scan, Skull Base to Thigh 438,003 622,311 $336,528,766 $540.77
288 17313 Mohs Surgery on Trunk or Extremities, First Stage 88,903 112,957 $60,523,976 $535.81
48 17311 Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, First Stage 551,033 733,116 $392,123,720 $534.87
390 22842 — 51,852 82,002 $43,281,636 $527.81
478 22840 — 41,506 66,532 $34,009,349 $511.17
518 22845 — 38,476 60,222 $29,906,791 $496.61
458 67210 — 47,118 73,083 $35,579,696 $486.84
249 64721 Open Carpal Tunnel Release 103,828 162,614 $75,884,675 $466.66
140 64635 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Nerve Ablation 163,100 327,659 $140,625,635 $429.18
464 64633 — 42,006 82,311 $35,233,646 $428.06
189 00670 Anesthesia for Spine Surgery 167,435 248,275 $104,662,440 $421.56
304 36561 — 129,681 137,968 $57,174,595 $414.40
462 93460 — 89,536 90,842 $35,395,130 $389.63
556 20680 — 50,892 70,538 $27,235,808 $386.12
344 26055 — 68,819 131,581 $49,879,454 $379.08
108 17312 Mohs Surgery, Additional Stage 294,739 494,869 $185,443,474 $374.73
93 66982 Complex Cataract Surgery With Lens Implant 153,206 590,854 $220,381,238 $372.99
466 28285 — 48,231 107,311 $35,202,705 $328.04
355 77338 — 110,312 143,077 $46,762,317 $326.83
463 19083 — 105,307 108,980 $35,259,273 $323.54
157 95811 — 355,979 414,521 $130,242,571 $314.20
502 00537 — 67,019 100,441 $31,281,174 $311.44
49 45385 Colonoscopy With Polyp Removal 838,890 1,222,606 $379,488,435 $310.39
529 13101 — 81,118 92,552 $28,720,777 $310.32
326 13121 — 147,908 175,364 $53,305,520 $303.97
497 93459 — 100,483 107,030 $32,262,631 $301.44
430 36558 — 110,679 129,647 $38,539,633 $297.27
199 95810 — 305,325 339,887 $99,791,865 $293.60
225 13132 Complex Skin Wound Repair 238,166 282,164 $80,424,447 $285.03
386 77295 — 133,009 153,698 $43,495,193 $282.99
31 90960 Monthly Dialysis Care, Frequent Visits 306,343 2,261,851 $633,478,968 $280.07
135 93458 Coronary Angiography and Left Heart Catheterization 501,766 525,366 $145,500,472 $276.95
283 22851 — Retired after Q4 2016 87,782 223,285 $61,174,167 $273.97
399 55700 — Retired after Q4 2025 138,000 159,288 $41,795,285 $262.39
294 01214 — 154,521 227,234 $59,179,184 $260.43
39 78452 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 1,954,456 2,048,786 $527,941,061 $257.68
460 00630 — 94,717 139,342 $35,456,986 $254.46
276 12032 Intermediate Skin Wound Repair 228,021 255,013 $63,831,782 $250.31
471 43249 — 95,966 140,025 $34,716,011 $247.93
7 66984 Cataract Surgery 1,285,564 8,905,534 $2,188,407,141 $245.74
171 00790 Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Surgery 325,954 480,569 $117,841,253 $245.21
136 45378 Diagnostic Colonoscopy 472,039 594,898 $145,457,006 $244.51
427 45384 — 117,559 159,663 $38,953,188 $243.97
357 65855 — 108,545 191,863 $46,619,220 $242.98
180 01402 Anesthesia for Knee Arthroplasty 303,627 458,359 $110,862,811 $241.87
433 88377 — 64,897 158,836 $38,316,581 $241.23
476 72197 Pelvic MRI With and Without Contrast 126,496 143,799 $34,012,108 $236.53
318 64490 — 104,871 230,489 $54,357,756 $235.84
121 90961 Monthly Dialysis Care, Fewer Visits 234,174 722,518 $169,122,392 $234.07
272 00840 — 192,112 278,883 $64,889,274 $232.68
238 90966 Monthly Home Dialysis Services 48,569 337,730 $77,881,823 $230.60
127 64493 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Joint Injection 335,341 727,633 $163,979,372 $225.36
274 74183 Abdominal MRI With and Without Contrast 238,154 288,057 $64,520,735 $223.99
20 99291 Critical Care 1,767,609 5,471,151 $1,213,351,444 $221.77
312 77290 — 191,612 253,271 $56,025,945 $221.21
468 43248 — 98,223 159,343 $34,830,734 $218.59
64 45380 Colonoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,025,603 1,468,721 $320,327,798 $218.10
201 99496 Transitional Care After Discharge, Prompt Contact 400,072 458,559 $99,674,480 $217.36
444 95911 — 165,549 172,136 $36,944,612 $214.62
440 01844 — 93,612 175,421 $37,251,210 $212.35
86 64483 Lumbar or Sacral Transforaminal Epidural Injection 490,096 1,114,081 $236,465,967 $212.25
456 01230 — 120,835 170,862 $36,129,968 $211.46
507 99236 — 139,942 147,003 $31,068,292 $211.34
329 93351 — 253,734 258,557 $52,738,272 $203.97
178 31231 Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy 385,799 559,453 $111,703,739 $199.67
479 00320 — 109,498 170,114 $33,913,406 $199.36
10 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit 4,454,285 10,761,215 $2,140,286,301 $198.89
77 66821 Laser Treatment of the Posterior Lens Capsule 526,291 1,352,346 $264,983,235 $195.94
36 99205 Longest New Patient Office Visit 2,580,902 2,904,289 $564,987,429 $194.54
490 01630 — 119,581 169,696 $32,920,006 $193.99
103 52000 Diagnostic Cystoscopy 753,857 995,484 $187,578,373 $188.43
523 10061 — 134,306 158,220 $29,244,411 $184.83
99 77427 Radiation Treatment Management 248,634 1,097,789 $200,864,324 $182.97
436 90962 — 88,281 210,554 $38,027,630 $180.61
83 99220 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,154,518 1,360,120 $244,756,361 $179.95
284 11043 Muscle and Fascia Wound Debridement 112,670 340,293 $61,001,959 $179.26
187 74178 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With and Without Contrast 520,330 602,939 $105,353,624 $174.73
349 72158 — 247,022 282,520 $49,029,244 $173.54
536 95910 — 160,775 165,158 $28,468,478 $172.37
12 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency 6,804,846 11,657,719 $1,993,725,000 $171.02
52 43239 Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,368,321 1,989,360 $339,456,631 $170.64
116 70553 Brain MRI With and Without Contrast 853,641 1,038,337 $175,858,464 $169.37
494 01922 — 129,682 197,410 $32,450,552 $164.38
425 95819 — 218,115 237,819 $39,092,489 $164.38
89 99306 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 3 1,046,627 1,366,123 $222,829,775 $163.11
252 99350 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 4 144,708 461,614 $75,063,911 $162.61
360 77263 — 263,708 285,289 $46,255,883 $162.14
409 00300 — 162,824 254,486 $40,755,930 $160.15
482 11750 — 162,878 215,453 $33,638,103 $156.13
14 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit 7,979,437 9,984,532 $1,554,191,439 $155.66
254 99495 Transitional Care After Discharge 438,996 490,851 $74,794,206 $152.38
499 63048 — 79,659 217,265 $31,986,306 $147.22
418 17262 — 213,379 271,307 $39,699,285 $146.33
280 43235 — 338,014 422,398 $61,709,479 $146.09
160 17004 Destruction of Multiple Premalignant Skin Lesions 577,332 869,936 $125,988,841 $144.83
370 93978 — 270,170 316,804 $45,338,744 $143.11
63 92004 New Patient Eye Examination, Comprehensive 2,192,311 2,297,828 $324,803,489 $141.35
515 11602 — 182,127 214,117 $30,079,809 $140.48
389 01480 — 197,188 310,137 $43,298,985 $139.61
366 77280 Radiation Treatment Simulation 191,326 328,997 $45,700,136 $138.91
393 27096 — 211,999 315,543 $43,016,139 $136.32
191 73721 Lower-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 612,572 761,734 $103,515,670 $135.89
263 73221 Upper-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 429,489 524,861 $71,005,763 $135.28
251 90792 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation With Medical Services 486,505 557,263 $75,281,970 $135.09
348 68761 Lacrimal Punctum Closure 165,116 368,571 $49,738,635 $134.95
19 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit 5,701,797 9,795,589 $1,315,621,843 $134.31
24 99222 Hospital Admission Visit 3,519,349 6,941,935 $931,463,590 $134.18
220 93925 Bilateral Lower-Extremity Arterial Duplex Study 545,639 643,397 $86,253,712 $134.06
432 95816 Electroencephalography Study 264,472 292,602 $38,356,929 $131.09
221 99219 — Retired after Q4 2022 579,053 644,893 $84,329,248 $130.76
84 96413 Intravenous Antineoplastic Infusion Administration 246,502 1,861,460 $243,283,097 $130.69
415 01936 — Retired after Q4 2021 160,334 313,315 $40,143,940 $128.13
144 99305 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 2 850,678 1,079,564 $137,564,940 $127.43
552 93975 — 185,980 218,576 $27,286,186 $124.84
131 99310 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 4 523,414 1,285,897 $159,917,505 $124.36
112 72148 Lumbar Spine MRI Without Contrast 1,296,231 1,486,152 $181,530,954 $122.15
236 72141 Cervical Spine MRI Without Contrast 573,862 645,709 $78,336,991 $121.32
303 36556 — 395,522 472,784 $57,289,399 $121.17
148 99349 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 3 283,658 1,131,377 $136,775,497 $120.89
455 93312 — 260,022 300,325 $36,295,889 $120.86
73 00810 — Retired after Q4 2017 1,834,364 2,445,931 $294,001,995 $120.20
13 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient 9,534,836 12,134,991 $1,452,887,348 $119.73
184 90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation 807,445 903,706 $106,524,298 $117.87
25 93306 Heart Ultrasound 6,354,158 7,422,692 $873,615,145 $117.70
351 00400 — 256,513 410,814 $48,253,941 $117.46
449 01992 — 151,163 317,335 $36,667,542 $115.55
382 64636 — 148,837 385,130 $44,135,839 $114.60
30 99284 Emergency Visit, High Urgency 4,140,479 5,894,029 $669,751,244 $113.63
96 00740 — Retired after Q4 2017 1,180,033 1,902,488 $215,074,552 $113.05
59 74177 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With Contrast 2,259,727 2,989,844 $334,302,869 $111.81
484 31500 — 243,403 279,402 $30,917,270 $110.66
74 93880 Carotid Artery Duplex Study 2,291,792 2,543,930 $280,727,338 $110.35
173 92235 — 450,494 1,041,621 $114,829,021 $110.24
314 99292 — 257,254 508,868 $55,889,172 $109.83
364 10060 — 365,603 423,006 $45,782,762 $108.23
537 72146 — 200,355 225,140 $24,321,538 $108.03
38 90837 Extended Therapy Session 512,990 5,154,175 $555,955,101 $107.87
337 99183 — 22,349 486,003 $51,742,288 $106.46
268 31575 — 493,113 645,167 $68,676,814 $106.45
69 67028 Intravitreal Medication Injection 599,550 2,970,122 $312,391,086 $105.18
43 99239 Extended Hospital Discharge Visit 3,145,148 4,596,060 $480,657,964 $104.58
6 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit 3,559,991 22,498,697 $2,306,007,709 $102.50
517 99226 — Retired after Q4 2022 211,293 277,750 $28,396,113 $102.24
95 17110 Destruction of Benign Skin Lesions 1,606,107 2,140,586 $217,304,027 $101.52
174 70551 Brain MRI Without Contrast 1,013,497 1,128,272 $114,416,939 $101.41
15 99203 New Patient Office Visit 9,061,583 11,271,207 $1,137,706,730 $100.94
98 00142 Anesthesia for Lens Surgery 1,094,037 2,137,683 $214,987,059 $100.57
1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit 26,427,226 99,907,807 $10,001,554,051 $100.11
542 01810 — 187,443 283,843 $28,085,977 $98.95
111 99221 Initial Hospital Care, Level 1 1,382,953 1,869,689 $184,049,570 $98.44
373 99316 — 364,248 400,535 $39,092,922 $97.60
451 00910 — 218,240 375,911 $36,496,212 $97.09
445 70544 — 272,293 289,489 $28,103,930 $97.08
194 71275 Chest CT Angiography 910,717 1,033,421 $98,299,223 $95.12
88 74176 Abdomen and Pelvis CT Without Contrast 1,860,858 2,350,583 $223,246,888 $94.98
446 70496 Head CT Angiography 270,842 292,557 $27,210,852 $93.01
406 11730 — 315,029 443,865 $41,128,961 $92.66
213 88307 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level V 588,429 970,297 $89,600,537 $92.34
230 20611 Ultrasound-Guided Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 381,964 859,317 $78,657,373 $91.53
397 99304 — 323,716 371,981 $33,566,496 $90.24
403 64494 — 297,020 459,777 $41,295,984 $89.82
448 88173 — 268,949 376,799 $33,757,533 $89.59
513 70491 — 216,380 264,658 $23,070,166 $87.17
408 76641 — 308,554 475,845 $40,962,395 $86.08
321 93923 — 432,083 517,487 $44,524,235 $86.04
27 99309 Extended Nursing Home Visit 1,828,599 8,822,813 $747,594,508 $84.73
124 93970 Bilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,408,738 1,703,423 $143,707,710 $84.36
34 92012 Established Patient Eye Examination, Intermediate 3,729,257 6,746,780 $565,832,223 $83.87
384 93224 — 342,382 366,993 $30,569,254 $83.30
328 76830 — 424,026 488,243 $40,610,835 $83.18
241 95886 Needle Electromyography Study 545,024 934,799 $77,563,057 $82.97
421 70498 Neck CT Angiography 294,715 315,091 $25,912,003 $82.24
369 99348 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 2 205,523 556,929 $45,355,488 $81.44
271 99497 Advance Care Planning 573,060 619,506 $50,430,802 $81.40
372 90836 — 113,403 564,190 $45,077,173 $79.90
145 11042 Subcutaneous Tissue Wound Debridement 449,139 1,740,408 $137,172,599 $78.82
503 92002 — 226,150 228,679 $17,583,975 $76.89
551 93926 — 194,484 253,346 $19,077,497 $75.30
495 64484 — 234,550 413,509 $30,790,943 $74.46
71 92250 Fundus Photography 2,612,943 3,111,330 $231,114,049 $74.28
47 90834 Standard Therapy Session 628,056 5,370,250 $396,256,907 $73.79
299 96401 Subcutaneous or Intramuscular Antineoplastic Injection Administration 167,639 784,868 $57,803,967 $73.65
470 78306 — 257,134 294,350 $21,516,610 $73.10
316 76856 — 439,880 516,650 $37,327,957 $72.25
222 90935 — 209,583 1,144,747 $82,318,503 $71.91
185 76700 Complete Abdominal Ultrasound 946,901 1,081,118 $76,793,432 $71.03
4 99232 Daily Hospital Visit 4,918,652 48,607,777 $3,430,989,705 $70.59
132 71260 Chest CT With Contrast 1,356,211 1,855,976 $130,776,207 $70.46
429 88331 — 288,294 523,669 $36,863,360 $70.39
223 76536 Neck Soft-Tissue Ultrasound 786,368 913,749 $64,306,336 $70.38
352 99225 — Retired after Q4 2022 392,510 587,604 $41,244,920 $70.19
78 99238 Hospital Discharge Visit 2,403,940 3,267,550 $229,320,064 $70.18
143 99217 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,226,495 1,398,945 $97,973,056 $70.03
114 71250 Chest CT Without Contrast 1,633,416 2,078,933 $145,581,461 $70.03
541 88360 — 153,860 408,135 $28,124,012 $68.91
465 99315 — 259,297 281,799 $19,288,136 $68.45
441 77002 — 274,283 503,176 $34,433,303 $68.43
67 99202 New Patient Office Visit, Level 2 2,711,869 2,867,969 $195,971,257 $68.33
172 93015 Complete Cardiovascular Stress Test 1,046,439 1,079,201 $73,497,173 $68.10
216 96365 Intravenous Therapeutic Infusion Administration 285,818 1,274,019 $86,615,136 $67.99
2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit 26,367,160 99,725,114 $6,766,071,321 $67.85
28 99308 Nursing Home Visit 2,021,498 10,862,912 $707,749,079 $65.15
488 73700 — 238,216 269,672 $16,975,067 $62.95
198 88312 Special Stain for Microorganisms 902,353 1,612,790 $100,479,978 $62.30
228 90833 Psychotherapy With Evaluation and Management 367,124 1,317,442 $80,218,839 $60.89
75 92083 Comprehensive Visual Field Examination 2,520,722 2,949,015 $177,751,062 $60.27
152 76770 Complete Retroperitoneal Ultrasound 1,191,969 1,380,186 $82,136,816 $59.51
297 70486 — 480,612 523,805 $30,993,023 $59.17
76 99283 Emergency Department Visit, Level 3 2,511,108 3,398,384 $200,707,871 $59.06
327 72131 Lumbar Spine CT Without Contrast 428,315 473,006 $27,710,882 $58.58
269 93922 — 573,380 694,036 $40,475,437 $58.32
133 88342 Immunohistochemistry Study, Initial Antibody 1,349,450 1,985,208 $115,573,985 $58.22
168 92136 Ophthalmic Biometry for Intraocular Lens Planning 1,077,256 1,791,828 $103,915,064 $57.99
55 20610 Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 2,857,890 5,846,725 $338,855,885 $57.96
155 90832 Brief Therapy Session 389,275 2,307,085 $131,942,618 $57.19
176 11056 Paring of Multiple Benign Foot Lesions 805,999 2,011,687 $114,126,990 $56.73
546 78582 — 196,313 209,371 $11,667,785 $55.73
519 76519 — 211,146 334,373 $18,605,639 $55.64
181 72125 Cervical Spine CT Without Contrast 978,991 1,120,714 $60,933,841 $54.37
293 20550 — 500,431 812,326 $42,161,390 $51.90
46 17000 Precancerous Skin Spot Removal 3,852,136 5,718,790 $296,658,057 $51.87
331 97597 — 331,502 1,015,681 $52,596,171 $51.78
291 36620 — 512,355 568,092 $29,287,470 $51.55
22 88305 Biopsy Tissue Examination 7,751,548 19,703,918 $1,000,764,932 $50.79
339 98942 — 128,496 1,001,515 $50,843,877 $50.77
266 76642 Limited Breast Ultrasound 586,090 727,814 $36,773,196 $50.53
119 93971 Unilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,420,771 1,814,262 $89,937,587 $49.57
214 88185 — 79,363 1,854,264 $88,691,530 $47.83
511 94620 — Retired after Q4 2017 218,316 267,973 $12,790,272 $47.73
498 20552 — 232,279 371,529 $17,318,425 $46.61
286 77300 — 228,877 1,327,654 $60,979,797 $45.93
175 94060 Bronchodilator Responsiveness Testing 1,025,098 1,221,060 $55,601,759 $45.54
190 76942 — 917,840 1,208,046 $54,918,469 $45.46
146 69210 Impacted Earwax Removal 1,209,173 1,548,850 $70,373,400 $45.44
302 11055 — 467,813 902,009 $40,686,621 $45.11
253 83880 Natriuretic Peptide Test 620,805 944,058 $42,175,135 $44.67
395 20605 — 328,112 464,856 $20,713,725 $44.56
459 87624 — 263,703 271,114 $12,021,385 $44.34
65 92134 Retina Scan 2,812,024 6,409,497 $277,790,025 $43.34
240 88112 Cytopathology Examination 706,660 1,090,814 $47,248,596 $43.31
66 11721 Debridement of Multiple Nails 2,730,042 7,360,840 $316,896,416 $43.05
164 99307 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 1 931,547 2,909,569 $123,973,655 $42.61
45 70450 Head CT Without Contrast 3,880,535 5,775,702 $240,624,115 $41.66
80 92133 Optic Nerve Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography 2,300,774 2,588,682 $106,784,546 $41.25
439 83704 — 275,399 374,033 $15,427,422 $41.25
454 20600 — 264,737 403,507 $16,630,034 $41.21
26 99212 Brief Follow-Up Office Visit 7,638,672 13,874,699 $552,521,509 $39.82
392 99282 — 335,247 391,028 $15,431,714 $39.46
262 76775 — 592,573 669,724 $26,351,394 $39.35
35 82306 Vitamin D Blood Test 4,696,808 6,447,499 $250,615,437 $38.87
210 99490 Chronic Care Management 564,648 2,442,837 $94,886,273 $38.84
41 98941 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation, Multiple Regions 1,394,645 13,249,867 $512,432,113 $38.67
94 77063 3D Screening Mammogram 1,955,089 2,019,708 $77,007,107 $38.13
62 99231 Subsequent Hospital Care, Level 1 2,084,165 8,554,030 $326,108,067 $38.12
477 93308 — 250,704 304,568 $11,547,454 $37.91
166 92557 Comprehensive Hearing Assessment 1,086,500 1,180,329 $43,804,609 $37.11
182 76705 Limited Abdominal Ultrasound 961,448 1,113,270 $41,258,955 $37.06
544 82670 — 197,663 276,022 $10,104,453 $36.61
233 88313 Special Histochemical Stain 728,742 1,610,760 $58,473,056 $36.30
535 88108 — 200,811 286,299 $9,887,534 $34.54
235 84403 Total Testosterone Test 719,539 1,082,165 $36,865,151 $34.07
475 88175 — 252,266 263,421 $8,971,790 $34.06
179 94729 Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity Test 987,055 1,077,476 $36,488,613 $33.86
508 84402 — 224,111 303,984 $10,253,874 $33.73
300 97113 — 71,207 1,745,374 $57,784,314 $33.11
379 94727 — 344,295 370,641 $12,131,073 $32.73
260 94726 Pulmonary Lung Volume Study 595,766 641,836 $20,709,166 $32.27
51 97530 Daily-Activity Therapy 878,536 10,860,755 $339,555,645 $31.26
207 11720 Debridement of Nails 879,012 2,131,774 $66,617,349 $31.25
410 74230 — 308,420 365,107 $11,304,302 $30.96
285 92225 — Retired after Q4 2019 520,733 865,712 $26,350,685 $30.44
54 97112 Balance and Coordination Therapy 996,975 11,284,927 $338,915,013 $30.03
346 96367 — 166,538 1,664,423 $49,769,483 $29.90
426 97535 Self-Care and Home Management Training 289,921 1,247,475 $37,193,653 $29.82
188 94010 Spirometry 935,231 1,279,016 $37,959,397 $29.68
217 72110 Multi-View Lumbar Spine Radiograph 838,574 933,589 $27,669,558 $29.64
467 73565 — 258,433 296,654 $8,664,779 $29.21
215 92226 — Retired after Q4 2019 840,256 2,228,020 $65,041,603 $29.19
480 94762 — 247,616 276,059 $7,676,861 $27.81
402 93320 — 318,598 345,794 $9,506,451 $27.49
120 98940 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation 848,413 6,357,600 $173,172,100 $27.24
353 72050 — 390,491 430,300 $11,673,197 $27.13
224 92020 Gonioscopy 779,037 886,347 $23,639,855 $26.67
17 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises 2,530,486 53,067,010 $1,415,207,638 $26.67
170 73564 Complete Knee Radiograph Study 1,073,148 1,446,589 $37,843,574 $26.16
375 93227 — 363,287 396,154 $10,245,229 $25.86
443 82378 — 272,692 596,398 $15,054,193 $25.24
335 86334 Immunofixation Electrophoresis 413,658 660,896 $16,656,253 $25.20
82 77080 Central Bone Density Study 2,293,973 2,383,700 $59,596,678 $25.00
414 84154 — 304,584 377,602 $9,243,666 $24.48
87 84153 Prostate-Specific Antigen Test 2,261,258 3,220,556 $78,730,982 $24.45
110 73562 Knee Radiograph 1,641,629 2,388,834 $57,589,756 $24.11
555 73521 — 194,193 213,309 $5,135,598 $24.08
60 96372 Therapeutic Injection Administration 2,895,494 9,439,135 $221,771,902 $23.49
33 97140 Hands-On Physical Therapy 1,883,851 25,196,507 $582,999,813 $23.14
491 86235 — 236,692 1,282,870 $29,605,404 $23.08
424 83090 — 292,784 378,676 $8,517,810 $22.49
407 90471 — 313,535 337,282 $7,568,873 $22.44
92 73502 Hip and Pelvis Radiograph 1,965,820 2,715,223 $60,880,745 $22.42
385 77001 — 341,512 430,254 $9,611,471 $22.34
11 84443 Thyroid Blood Test 10,060,813 15,213,532 $339,779,388 $22.33
383 83861 — 342,607 866,445 $19,046,425 $21.98
381 97116 Gait Training 228,516 2,010,525 $44,142,447 $21.96
524 83921 — 209,320 329,153 $7,202,109 $21.88
486 92550 — 240,652 259,594 $5,630,836 $21.69
505 96375 — 178,097 1,437,968 $31,186,018 $21.69
209 84481 Free Triiodothyronine Test 877,049 1,274,287 $27,635,911 $21.69
554 82533 — 194,230 265,258 $5,743,654 $21.65
163 93016 Cardiovascular Stress Test Supervision 1,110,848 1,142,824 $24,667,976 $21.59
506 86800 — 224,186 287,506 $6,018,462 $20.93
109 72100 Lumbar Spine Radiograph 1,643,595 2,052,519 $42,806,439 $20.86
301 73620 — 470,483 697,265 $14,498,159 $20.79
333 82274 — 418,266 450,110 $9,323,174 $20.71
237 73110 Wrist Radiograph 709,497 1,072,224 $21,905,531 $20.43
419 73140 — 295,829 392,847 $7,958,579 $20.26
273 72040 — 554,987 691,779 $13,934,097 $20.14
56 82607 Vitamin B12 Laboratory Test 3,034,098 3,985,901 $80,009,303 $20.07
530 73100 — 205,867 330,321 $6,579,559 $19.92
423 72070 — 294,276 339,100 $6,748,248 $19.90
102 73630 Foot Radiograph 1,753,544 2,734,292 $54,360,431 $19.88
204 88304 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level III 882,959 1,061,553 $20,659,516 $19.46
104 82746 Folate Laboratory Test 1,701,750 2,195,684 $42,724,880 $19.46
128 73560 Limited Knee Radiograph Study 1,388,547 2,039,426 $39,548,071 $19.39
416 86376 — 300,326 361,000 $6,937,518 $19.22
543 73600 — 199,220 270,194 $5,191,342 $19.21
130 51798 Bladder Residual Urine Measurement 1,361,628 2,111,659 $40,009,777 $18.95
122 99211 Established Patient Office Visit, Level 1 1,414,697 4,364,147 $81,989,008 $18.79
315 86803 — 445,318 486,576 $9,131,259 $18.77
264 84480 — 590,840 822,059 $15,313,406 $18.63
97 73030 Shoulder Radiograph 1,942,540 2,711,753 $50,010,373 $18.44
200 73610 Ankle Radiograph 894,033 1,329,031 $24,261,307 $18.25
431 71101 — 287,877 314,204 $5,727,976 $18.23
514 86225 — 215,483 265,336 $4,832,970 $18.21
115 82728 Ferritin Laboratory Test 1,631,377 2,661,932 $48,150,411 $18.09
411 92285 — 306,651 374,776 $6,757,774 $18.03
211 73130 Hand Radiograph 851,492 1,197,381 $21,546,217 $17.99
557 73120 — 193,319 294,562 $5,268,349 $17.89
525 71100 — 208,918 235,503 $4,166,155 $17.69
388 73501 — 340,911 419,328 $7,286,224 $17.38
313 94640 — 449,069 638,081 $11,033,199 $17.29
330 86141 — 423,403 569,913 $9,827,417 $17.24
342 74022 — 402,949 494,186 $8,514,231 $17.23
453 86200 — 265,073 294,571 $5,068,487 $17.21
23 93000 Heart Tracing 7,695,030 11,751,138 $198,113,406 $16.86
244 86038 Antinuclear Antibody Test 687,711 788,843 $12,663,053 $16.05
242 84165 Serum Protein Electrophoresis 703,232 1,102,076 $17,632,073 $16.00
227 72170 Pelvis Radiograph 760,381 876,780 $13,943,893 $15.90
400 73080 — 320,727 393,798 $6,250,038 $15.87
290 76937 — 512,842 661,689 $10,376,823 $15.68
540 72072 — 199,891 215,227 $3,371,034 $15.66
509 83525 — 223,758 313,634 $4,756,089 $15.16
394 87804 Influenza Antigen Test 328,774 593,681 $8,961,132 $15.09
298 87880 Streptococcus Antigen Test 474,256 530,425 $7,980,235 $15.04
358 73552 — 381,749 548,874 $8,240,678 $15.01
398 83516 — 321,666 648,263 $9,491,525 $14.64
539 86706 — 200,355 213,870 $3,042,446 $14.23
142 93018 Cardiovascular Stress Test Interpretation 1,283,865 1,325,479 $18,801,192 $14.18
239 92567 Tympanometry 707,694 799,518 $11,337,926 $14.18
9 80061 Cholesterol Blood Panel 12,654,677 19,499,905 $275,842,942 $14.15
437 73060 — 278,261 376,088 $5,283,425 $14.05
309 76514 — 457,675 488,479 $6,861,154 $14.05
278 88311 — 534,676 675,263 $9,397,005 $13.92
442 87340 — 273,361 295,022 $3,974,642 $13.47
343 73590 — 400,826 529,603 $7,011,131 $13.24
534 99406 — 201,066 281,629 $3,720,365 $13.21
21 83036 Average Blood Sugar Test 7,813,177 14,475,924 $186,308,069 $12.87
362 51741 — 381,024 499,578 $6,278,847 $12.57
246 83721 — 682,954 1,010,837 $12,694,044 $12.56
522 73090 — 209,978 253,039 $3,073,242 $12.15
218 95165 Allergen Immunotherapy Preparation 199,401 7,180,910 $86,392,293 $12.03
50 84439 Free T4 Thyroid Test 3,419,244 5,039,579 $60,118,819 $11.93
256 87070 — 615,903 775,988 $8,909,866 $11.48
126 83550 Iron-Binding Capacity Test 1,406,510 2,217,331 $25,273,476 $11.40
113 87186 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing 1,633,776 2,884,291 $32,694,157 $11.34
547 83718 — 196,257 293,918 $3,203,499 $10.90
5 80053 Full Metabolic Blood Panel 14,379,545 29,001,293 $315,472,215 $10.88
53 87086 Urine Culture 3,070,464 5,236,646 $56,113,657 $10.72
118 87088 Urine Culture Identification 1,510,034 2,396,184 $25,362,195 $10.58
338 97035 — 404,656 2,651,586 $27,267,196 $10.28
134 87077 Microorganism Identification From Culture 1,327,478 2,104,816 $21,546,775 $10.24
8 85025 Blood Cell Count With Differential 13,354,408 30,135,201 $307,889,483 $10.22
287 80069 Renal Function Panel 517,841 1,028,361 $10,502,923 $10.21
347 11719 — 397,160 1,058,917 $10,729,650 $10.13
40 80048 Basic Metabolic Blood Panel 4,283,928 7,755,161 $73,879,194 $9.53
350 83690 — 395,672 495,110 $4,454,922 $9.00
161 84436 Total Thyroxine Test 1,118,873 1,506,555 $13,553,073 $9.00
105 83735 Magnesium Laboratory Test 1,693,250 3,157,292 $27,877,155 $8.83
361 82150 — 381,128 489,623 $4,218,713 $8.62
85 85027 Blood Cell Count 2,274,207 3,532,602 $29,944,791 $8.48
100 83540 Iron Laboratory Test 1,768,829 2,828,075 $23,950,097 $8.47
258 84479 — 597,176 806,019 $6,778,528 $8.41
16 93010 Heart Tracing Reading 8,506,983 19,344,927 $162,623,669 $8.41
365 93005 — 377,408 436,342 $3,494,781 $8.01
368 85730 — 367,710 527,803 $4,205,729 $7.97
311 93325 Echocardiographic Color Flow Mapping 454,207 519,425 $4,063,769 $7.82
282 86431 — 523,471 598,573 $4,522,477 $7.56
150 80076 Hepatic Function Panel 1,196,029 1,913,339 $14,140,443 $7.39
496 93042 — 234,258 442,996 $3,162,659 $7.14
70 82043 Urine Albumin Test 2,667,073 3,535,302 $24,636,722 $6.97
58 82570 Urine Creatinine Test 3,033,720 4,591,986 $31,306,229 $6.82
147 86140 C-Reactive Protein Test 1,204,071 2,086,153 $14,135,700 $6.78
265 95004 — 192,505 10,654,616 $70,758,836 $6.64
483 86592 — 246,184 280,820 $1,592,482 $5.67
452 87205 — 266,113 343,357 $1,878,577 $5.47
61 17003 Additional Premalignant Skin Lesion Destruction 2,889,771 18,353,119 $97,760,169 $5.33
450 85045 — 266,556 369,015 $1,965,047 $5.33
319 82044 — 434,029 565,424 $2,959,518 $5.23
107 85610 Prothrombin Time Test 1,658,247 13,391,674 $69,876,663 $5.22
549 88300 — 195,466 220,056 $1,117,146 $5.08
275 84156 Urine Protein Test 547,687 928,877 $4,527,852 $4.87
154 82550 Creatine Kinase Test 1,188,364 1,823,592 $8,807,410 $4.83
243 85651 — 690,838 1,121,465 $5,269,149 $4.70
461 80051 — 261,756 395,384 $1,752,715 $4.43
307 82270 — 461,884 462,928 $1,980,785 $4.28
37 81001 Urine Test With Microscope Exam 4,537,808 7,278,995 $30,655,475 $4.21
159 81000 — 1,139,200 1,967,358 $8,257,109 $4.20
229 83615 Lactate Dehydrogenase Test 753,773 1,810,482 $7,301,647 $4.03
203 82947 — 888,158 1,746,627 $6,843,419 $3.92
90 84550 Uric Acid Laboratory Test 2,006,297 3,288,595 $12,131,136 $3.69
183 84460 Alanine Aminotransferase Test 948,129 1,784,255 $6,549,446 $3.67
138 85652 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Test 1,291,659 2,027,256 $7,273,456 $3.59
325 82977 — 430,729 761,992 $2,625,102 $3.45
72 81002 Manual Urinalysis 2,586,403 4,029,856 $13,536,325 $3.36
156 82565 Blood Creatinine Test 1,139,581 1,792,809 $5,865,952 $3.27
356 84132 — 389,252 590,724 $1,876,284 $3.18
550 85014 — 194,941 353,853 $1,113,678 $3.15
404 85018 — 317,293 586,399 $1,841,073 $3.14
345 82310 — 400,511 573,196 $1,775,301 $3.10
197 84100 Phosphorus Laboratory Test 905,809 1,742,754 $5,387,534 $3.09
231 82962 — 731,164 1,909,726 $5,811,766 $3.04
42 81003 Automated Urinalysis 3,883,318 6,275,682 $18,682,631 $2.98
528 82465 — 207,137 302,303 $890,597 $2.95
3 36415 Blood Draw 17,744,642 51,485,177 $150,857,951 $2.93
340 84155 — 404,304 545,055 $1,575,407 $2.89
226 84450 — 768,727 1,201,180 $2,914,430 $2.43
206 82248 Direct Bilirubin Test 880,335 1,351,936 $2,881,721 $2.13
380 82040 — 344,141 537,950 $1,103,960 $2.05
248 84520 — 649,403 965,281 $1,925,342 $1.99
504 84295 — 224,470 350,996 $649,457 $1.85
405 84075 — 316,710 471,652 $804,336 $1.71
473 82247 — 253,951 437,384 $718,765 $1.64

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 7,790 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2016, 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 $79.2B these 500 codes account for.

  1. 1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit $10.0B
  2. 2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit $6.8B
  3. 3 99232 Daily Hospital Visit $3.4B
  4. 4 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit $2.3B
  5. 5 66984 Cataract Surgery $2.2B
  6. 6 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit $2.1B
  7. 7 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency $2.0B
  8. 8 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit $1.6B
  9. 9 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient $1.5B
  10. 10 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises $1.4B

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
81003 Automated Urinalysis
By beneficiaries
#25
By allowed dollars
#376
Per service
$2.98
Few patients, lots of money
37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent
By beneficiaries
#493
By allowed dollars
#84
Per service
$8,754.26

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

These are CY2016 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.

21 codes on this list have since left the fee schedule. They were billed heavily in CY2016 before CMS deleted them, so their links point at the last quarter that priced them rather than at a page that no longer exists.

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 7,790 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2016; this table shows the top 500 we cover.

Source: CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners—by Geography and Service, national rows, CY2016. 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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