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

Medicare's 500 most-billed CPT codes of 2017

In CY2017 Medicare paid $80.9B across these 500 CPT codes. 99214 (Long Follow-Up Office Visit) leads every measure: 26.7M beneficiaries and $10.2B 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
$80.9B
Total Medicare allowed dollars
Services
1.3B
Times these codes were billed
Top 25
56.4%
Share of the allowed dollars
Vintage
CY2017
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
1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit 26,676,302 102,087,464 $10,220,026,741 $100.11
2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit 26,137,643 97,527,463 $6,626,926,131 $67.95
4 99232 Daily Hospital Visit 4,860,457 47,353,298 $3,362,851,550 $71.02
6 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit 3,606,261 23,100,219 $2,388,381,413 $103.39
7 66984 Cataract Surgery 1,278,658 8,957,299 $2,211,923,313 $246.94
10 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit 4,421,501 10,722,261 $2,144,424,236 $200.00
12 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency 6,861,092 11,772,392 $2,046,747,337 $173.86
14 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit 8,111,646 10,174,582 $1,579,263,952 $155.22
15 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises 2,646,174 55,251,270 $1,485,089,437 $26.88
13 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient 9,564,398 12,225,961 $1,466,766,983 $119.97
19 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit 5,752,883 9,980,372 $1,338,827,632 $134.15
20 99291 Critical Care 1,830,425 5,665,354 $1,268,221,340 $223.86
16 99203 New Patient Office Visit 9,068,123 11,295,948 $1,142,880,493 $101.18
22 88305 Biopsy Tissue Examination 7,747,793 19,682,669 $958,864,495 $48.72
24 99222 Hospital Admission Visit 3,458,862 6,809,286 $917,174,610 $134.69
25 93306 Heart Ultrasound 6,405,480 7,464,163 $883,891,142 $118.42
27 99309 Extended Nursing Home Visit 1,831,370 9,140,119 $775,380,796 $84.83
28 99308 Nursing Home Visit 1,971,619 10,804,341 $701,797,651 $64.96
30 99284 Emergency Visit, High Urgency 4,108,384 5,803,223 $666,884,895 $114.92
31 90960 Monthly Dialysis Care, Frequent Visits 308,475 2,255,961 $634,338,865 $281.18
32 97140 Hands-On Physical Therapy 1,990,658 26,644,178 $622,049,306 $23.35
34 90837 Extended Therapy Session 541,790 5,589,875 $603,219,983 $107.91
36 92012 Established Patient Eye Examination, Intermediate 3,675,485 6,641,710 $558,666,567 $84.11
37 99205 Longest New Patient Office Visit 2,540,868 2,860,827 $556,814,633 $194.63
38 78452 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 1,900,354 1,990,365 $512,101,202 $257.29
40 99239 Extended Hospital Discharge Visit 3,285,345 4,846,825 $511,720,446 $105.58
26 99212 Brief Follow-Up Office Visit 7,173,595 12,746,728 $509,962,398 $40.01
43 98941 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation, Multiple Regions 1,377,701 13,052,580 $499,209,838 $38.25
44 27447 Knee Replacement 285,102 487,562 $439,095,399 $900.59
46 45385 Colonoscopy With Polyp Removal 869,257 1,270,019 $409,563,526 $322.49
47 17311 Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, First Stage 570,390 754,871 $408,238,514 $540.81
49 97530 Daily-Activity Therapy 988,681 12,453,961 $394,523,125 $31.68
50 90834 Standard Therapy Session 614,411 5,134,491 $379,824,154 $73.98
51 97112 Balance and Coordination Therapy 1,099,203 12,486,880 $377,798,061 $30.26
52 74177 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With Contrast 2,374,754 3,166,113 $354,441,402 $111.95
54 78815 PET/CT Scan, Skull Base to Thigh 449,084 640,059 $350,849,849 $548.15
56 20610 Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 2,875,845 5,840,974 $343,696,771 $58.84
11 84443 Thyroid Blood Test 10,016,448 15,127,964 $340,287,336 $22.49
59 45380 Colonoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,038,764 1,493,109 $339,099,325 $227.11
62 67028 Intravitreal Medication Injection 620,764 3,113,696 $329,536,684 $105.83
63 92004 New Patient Eye Examination, Comprehensive 2,172,509 2,278,167 $322,906,062 $141.74
64 43239 Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,347,384 1,962,437 $320,737,515 $163.44
5 80053 Full Metabolic Blood Panel 14,348,207 28,894,909 $315,447,842 $10.92
68 11721 Debridement of Multiple Nails 2,656,949 7,198,874 $309,047,384 $42.93
8 85025 Blood Cell Count With Differential 13,299,517 29,771,625 $306,121,115 $10.28
70 00810 — Retired after Q4 2017 1,883,061 2,494,404 $303,212,111 $121.56
72 99231 Subsequent Hospital Care, Level 1 1,988,804 7,888,037 $300,472,315 $38.09
41 17000 Precancerous Skin Spot Removal 3,915,292 5,795,860 $299,359,409 $51.65
74 93880 Carotid Artery Duplex Study 2,213,233 2,446,346 $281,441,580 $115.05
9 80061 Cholesterol Blood Panel 12,624,269 19,287,661 $276,055,166 $14.31
60 92134 Retina Scan 2,982,420 6,767,542 $267,432,333 $39.52
77 66821 Laser Treatment of the Posterior Lens Capsule 525,010 1,378,871 $267,345,460 $193.89
42 70450 Head CT Without Contrast 3,906,920 5,843,500 $257,661,750 $44.09
80 99220 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,194,266 1,408,530 $255,779,608 $181.59
33 82306 Vitamin D Blood Test 4,702,624 6,414,655 $250,799,519 $39.10
83 96413 Intravenous Antineoplastic Infusion Administration 244,642 1,818,873 $243,327,078 $133.78
84 64483 Lumbar or Sacral Transforaminal Epidural Injection 490,625 1,108,811 $239,711,356 $216.19
86 27130 Total Hip Arthroplasty 151,007 254,727 $229,392,297 $900.54
87 37225 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Balloon Widening Retired after Q4 2025 34,219 41,617 $229,311,732 $5,510.05
58 96372 Therapeutic Injection Administration 2,988,336 9,602,741 $228,738,306 $23.82
89 17110 Destruction of Benign Skin Lesions 1,675,771 2,234,691 $227,615,995 $101.86
90 80307 Presumptive Drug Screening 1,190,194 3,075,002 $226,222,682 $73.57
92 99306 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 3 1,041,847 1,373,331 $225,104,178 $163.91
93 74176 Abdomen and Pelvis CT Without Contrast 1,860,819 2,355,591 $224,542,813 $95.32
94 00740 — Retired after Q4 2017 1,176,786 1,894,873 $215,728,198 $113.85
85 99238 Hospital Discharge Visit 2,259,694 3,034,318 $214,296,192 $70.62
96 00142 Anesthesia for Lens Surgery 1,082,328 2,116,265 $213,444,786 $100.86
97 66982 Complex Cataract Surgery With Lens Implant 146,869 576,651 $210,878,013 $365.69
69 92250 Fundus Photography 2,717,701 3,225,144 $204,125,174 $63.29
98 77427 Radiation Treatment Management 245,924 1,075,140 $198,546,861 $184.67
23 93000 Heart Tracing 7,660,067 11,727,995 $197,930,720 $16.88
100 63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement 26,387 40,988 $197,050,989 $4,807.53
103 93229 Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Analysis 207,311 213,442 $197,036,517 $923.14
104 36902 Dialysis Circuit Endovascular Treatment 126,220 210,845 $196,589,359 $932.39
21 83036 Average Blood Sugar Test 8,013,355 14,783,785 $191,585,190 $12.96
109 37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent Retired after Q4 2025 17,654 21,026 $191,354,799 $9,100.87
78 99283 Emergency Department Visit, Level 3 2,379,656 3,183,548 $189,970,375 $59.67
71 99202 New Patient Office Visit, Level 2 2,580,107 2,721,225 $186,565,503 $68.56
113 72148 Lumbar Spine MRI Without Contrast 1,297,768 1,488,851 $186,350,134 $125.16
114 17312 Mohs Surgery, Additional Stage 298,182 490,940 $184,909,875 $376.64
117 99221 Initial Hospital Care, Level 1 1,369,489 1,859,611 $183,907,380 $98.90
73 92083 Comprehensive Visual Field Examination 2,532,838 2,963,000 $179,092,051 $60.44
120 70553 Brain MRI With and Without Contrast 859,483 1,049,675 $178,723,254 $170.27
124 90961 Monthly Dialysis Care, Fewer Visits 237,128 730,280 $171,207,316 $234.44
126 99310 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 4 548,466 1,361,946 $169,616,184 $124.54
127 37229 Leg Artery Plaque Removal Retired after Q4 2025 24,906 32,791 $168,753,224 $5,146.33
129 36475 Radiofrequency Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 66,750 120,451 $168,233,829 $1,396.70
17 93010 Heart Tracing Reading 8,585,819 19,469,842 $165,419,530 $8.50
131 98940 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation 819,215 6,115,827 $164,728,286 $26.93
133 62323 Lumbar or Sacral Epidural Injection 454,809 924,814 $160,420,286 $173.46
102 71250 Chest CT Without Contrast 1,737,644 2,215,160 $159,028,072 $71.79
136 64635 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Nerve Ablation 178,313 363,093 $155,868,694 $429.28
138 52000 Diagnostic Cystoscopy 748,578 984,202 $154,718,673 $157.20
121 93970 Bilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,397,218 1,682,696 $149,909,680 $89.09
141 78492 Cardiac PET Scan, Multiple Studies 135,323 149,926 $148,113,759 $987.91
143 64493 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Joint Injection 344,067 746,523 $147,385,289 $197.43
3 36415 Blood Draw 17,589,870 50,090,087 $146,785,330 $2.93
146 11042 Subcutaneous Tissue Wound Debridement 467,122 1,844,734 $145,264,570 $78.75
125 71260 Chest CT With Contrast 1,372,243 1,891,418 $144,537,581 $76.42
148 92928 Coronary Artery Stent Procedure 206,806 255,093 $139,873,787 $548.32
149 99490 Chronic Care Management 788,183 3,392,985 $138,703,488 $40.88
151 99305 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 2 849,278 1,084,774 $138,264,196 $127.46
152 93458 Coronary Angiography and Left Heart Catheterization 497,709 520,332 $137,711,232 $264.66
155 99349 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 3 283,445 1,139,758 $137,216,933 $120.39
156 90832 Brief Therapy Session 393,515 2,385,982 $136,268,678 $57.11
158 29827 Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair 67,693 125,178 $133,034,679 $1,062.76
161 95811 — 346,856 404,155 $127,620,584 $315.77
162 17004 Destruction of Multiple Premalignant Skin Lesions 578,436 871,623 $126,353,704 $144.96
164 77301 Intensity-Modulated Radiation Treatment Planning 114,668 126,688 $124,226,893 $980.57
122 88342 Immunohistochemistry Study, Initial Antibody 1,391,951 2,057,928 $121,149,372 $58.87
167 99496 Transitional Care After Discharge, Prompt Contact 479,565 550,307 $119,780,353 $217.66
168 70551 Brain MRI Without Contrast 1,040,836 1,160,664 $119,344,914 $102.82
170 45378 Diagnostic Colonoscopy 433,454 547,611 $117,921,113 $215.34
171 33533 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting 63,525 102,233 $117,768,712 $1,151.96
175 93925 Bilateral Lower-Extremity Arterial Duplex Study 562,187 662,750 $116,443,528 $175.70
177 00790 Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Surgery 316,909 468,865 $115,957,937 $247.32
178 11056 Paring of Multiple Benign Foot Lesions 807,966 2,030,186 $115,473,525 $56.88
180 31231 Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy 402,015 584,915 $114,672,072 $196.05
183 99307 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 1 870,039 2,669,770 $113,734,098 $42.60
179 71275 Chest CT Angiography 1,014,622 1,158,073 $113,653,270 $98.14
187 01402 Anesthesia for Knee Arthroplasty 308,240 466,775 $113,144,416 $242.40
65 77063 3D Screening Mammogram 2,778,244 2,882,455 $109,064,509 $37.84
189 95951 — Retired after Q4 2019 62,826 185,334 $108,153,849 $583.56
191 00670 Anesthesia for Spine Surgery 170,908 254,135 $107,588,665 $423.35
194 90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation 811,705 907,365 $106,414,056 $117.28
165 92136 Ophthalmic Biometry for Intraocular Lens Planning 1,102,891 1,814,122 $106,413,123 $58.66
196 73721 Lower-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 615,667 766,279 $105,781,608 $138.05
198 27245 Surgical Fixation of a Proximal Femur Fracture 81,031 104,732 $104,364,245 $996.49
200 74178 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With and Without Contrast 512,155 592,102 $104,245,404 $176.06
153 97162 Detailed Physical Therapy Evaluation 1,138,205 1,262,404 $102,503,310 $81.20
157 97161 Physical Therapy Evaluation 1,127,324 1,255,980 $101,721,352 $80.99
205 88312 Special Stain for Microorganisms 863,444 1,571,644 $99,937,698 $63.59
206 63047 Lumbar Spine Decompression Surgery 102,383 165,229 $99,717,736 $603.51
144 99217 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,230,631 1,402,405 $99,093,829 $70.66
61 17003 Additional Premalignant Skin Lesion Destruction 2,936,384 18,584,883 $98,840,953 $5.32
209 95810 — 298,915 332,136 $98,085,012 $295.32
79 92133 Optic Nerve Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography 2,360,395 2,659,802 $93,148,906 $35.02
212 36478 — 41,480 80,181 $90,905,555 $1,133.75
213 88307 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level V 588,834 977,552 $89,268,341 $91.32
119 93971 Unilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,422,379 1,811,960 $89,200,970 $49.23
216 99495 Transitional Care After Discharge 518,672 580,628 $88,337,991 $152.14
218 95165 Allergen Immunotherapy Preparation 197,731 7,116,151 $87,722,690 $12.33
219 96365 Intravenous Therapeutic Infusion Administration 283,762 1,254,800 $85,360,626 $68.03
221 99219 — Retired after Q4 2022 580,547 644,936 $85,042,209 $131.86
190 99497 Advance Care Planning 969,967 1,077,513 $84,254,757 $78.19
222 23472 Total Shoulder Arthroplasty 52,989 84,924 $83,815,123 $986.94
147 76770 Complete Retroperitoneal Ultrasound 1,195,833 1,383,387 $83,323,531 $60.23
224 13132 Complex Skin Wound Repair 245,841 291,044 $82,712,994 $284.19
225 20611 Ultrasound-Guided Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 404,962 898,220 $82,094,837 $91.40
227 90833 Psychotherapy With Evaluation and Management 374,272 1,342,582 $81,736,921 $60.88
55 82607 Vitamin B12 Laboratory Test 3,053,005 4,010,550 $81,049,201 $20.21
230 90935 — 210,097 1,108,421 $79,630,289 $71.84
82 84153 Prostate-Specific Antigen Test 2,262,809 3,232,936 $79,574,733 $24.61
234 90966 Monthly Home Dialysis Services 49,355 342,341 $79,269,431 $231.55
235 72141 Cervical Spine MRI Without Contrast 575,815 648,249 $78,812,489 $121.58
237 64721 Open Carpal Tunnel Release 102,842 162,567 $78,203,378 $481.05
240 95886 Needle Electromyography Study 545,279 936,988 $77,485,608 $82.70
244 90792 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation With Medical Services 494,844 564,849 $76,354,436 $135.18
245 47562 — 106,185 129,218 $76,050,790 $588.55
199 76700 Complete Abdominal Ultrasound 912,779 1,041,136 $75,521,381 $72.54
248 22551 Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion 39,406 63,387 $74,603,566 $1,176.95
137 99211 Established Patient Office Visit, Level 1 1,298,309 3,850,575 $73,590,037 $19.11
254 73221 Upper-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 434,471 531,299 $73,471,257 $138.29
256 36903 — 17,976 20,445 $72,776,775 $3,559.64
258 95004 — 194,977 10,886,081 $72,156,316 $6.63
259 22633 — 36,737 60,318 $72,068,357 $1,194.81
181 93015 Complete Cardiovascular Stress Test 1,011,782 1,043,175 $71,800,301 $68.83
260 27236 — 57,116 78,739 $71,498,352 $908.04
262 88185 — 81,566 1,839,490 $71,446,750 $38.84
39 80048 Basic Metabolic Blood Panel 4,132,874 7,409,354 $71,271,294 $9.62
265 74183 Abdominal MRI With and Without Contrast 256,335 310,793 $70,298,662 $226.19
145 69210 Impacted Earwax Removal 1,199,285 1,556,898 $69,851,748 $44.87
267 99350 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 4 143,974 424,158 $69,607,210 $164.11
271 36905 — 29,122 44,373 $68,165,034 $1,536.18
173 72125 Cervical Spine CT Without Contrast 1,049,995 1,208,931 $67,953,984 $56.21
273 11043 Muscle and Fascia Wound Debridement 119,115 369,952 $67,206,494 $181.66
274 12032 Intermediate Skin Wound Repair 235,871 263,569 $66,434,545 $252.06
276 31575 — 490,075 638,562 $66,164,869 $103.62
223 76536 Neck Soft-Tissue Ultrasound 804,021 929,845 $65,835,417 $70.80
207 11720 Debridement of Nails 861,007 2,110,681 $65,745,500 $31.15
279 17313 Mohs Surgery on Trunk or Extremities, First Stage 95,089 120,454 $65,389,422 $542.86
281 00840 — 191,462 278,897 $64,953,241 $232.89
284 77300 — 254,787 1,407,774 $63,742,986 $45.28
217 92226 — Retired after Q4 2019 824,463 2,174,858 $63,368,931 $29.14
88 73502 Hip and Pelvis Radiograph 2,014,748 2,794,460 $63,207,446 $22.62
76 77080 Central Bone Density Study 2,437,173 2,533,846 $62,207,117 $24.55
48 84439 Free T4 Thyroid Test 3,461,674 5,112,917 $61,409,602 $12.01
287 33208 — 103,504 105,208 $61,363,659 $583.26
116 85610 Prothrombin Time Test 1,504,728 11,601,062 $60,901,703 $5.25
290 01214 — 158,688 233,584 $60,860,020 $260.55
107 73562 Knee Radiograph 1,694,333 2,469,183 $59,978,026 $24.29
294 99292 — 267,169 536,807 $59,453,093 $110.75
296 33249 — 46,129 47,019 $59,400,705 $1,263.33
243 88313 Special Histochemical Stain 703,177 1,584,664 $59,073,268 $37.28
298 97113 — 71,116 1,728,327 $57,787,697 $33.44
299 36906 — 11,336 13,657 $57,522,379 $4,211.93
300 13121 — 158,649 188,493 $57,508,969 $305.10
301 15260 — 54,738 64,874 $57,471,184 $885.89
303 43235 — 326,248 407,458 $57,407,222 $140.89
53 87086 Urine Culture 3,069,232 5,225,765 $56,373,211 $10.79
306 29881 — 59,097 87,265 $56,133,798 $643.26
101 73630 Foot Radiograph 1,782,150 2,794,406 $56,046,898 $20.06
309 36556 — 386,306 461,191 $56,045,409 $121.52
310 67042 — 27,241 45,187 $55,766,983 $1,234.14
182 94060 Bronchodilator Responsiveness Testing 1,011,250 1,200,207 $54,412,433 $45.34
312 36561 — 128,730 136,612 $54,396,293 $398.18
314 96401 Subcutaneous or Intramuscular Antineoplastic Injection Administration 154,140 730,246 $53,858,944 $73.75
193 76942 — 937,788 1,207,305 $52,661,554 $43.62
317 77290 — 181,201 235,508 $52,258,617 $221.90
319 50590 — 48,979 68,765 $52,070,628 $757.23
321 68761 Lacrimal Punctum Closure 171,546 383,763 $51,892,806 $135.22
323 62321 — 141,508 280,853 $51,819,826 $184.51
326 93351 — 246,626 251,404 $51,751,468 $205.85
91 73030 Shoulder Radiograph 1,975,592 2,780,655 $51,729,271 $18.60
328 33361 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement 31,509 58,653 $51,398,626 $876.32
333 97597 — 325,539 989,482 $51,062,088 $51.60
334 77280 Radiation Treatment Simulation 155,442 317,422 $50,543,001 $159.23
336 64590 Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Battery Placement 11,816 15,018 $50,065,580 $3,333.70
110 82728 Ferritin Laboratory Test 1,675,852 2,735,797 $49,850,830 $18.22
339 64490 — 108,715 238,470 $49,474,117 $207.46
340 77523 — 2,034 48,580 $49,403,796 $1,016.96
342 65778 Ocular Surface Amniotic Membrane Placement 22,765 36,490 $49,334,038 $1,351.99
344 33405 — 22,226 35,430 $49,322,429 $1,392.11
345 72158 — 241,090 275,956 $48,863,321 $177.07
347 77338 — 114,896 148,150 $48,072,194 $324.48
349 35301 — 38,113 53,306 $47,613,932 $893.22
351 77263 — 267,367 289,532 $47,411,673 $163.75
353 99183 — 19,652 444,831 $47,376,935 $106.51
354 22514 — 24,734 27,065 $47,363,193 $1,749.98
356 00400 — 247,804 398,189 $47,173,364 $118.47
358 64636 — 163,092 416,244 $47,005,990 $112.93
360 29880 — 45,232 68,006 $46,471,793 $683.35
362 97116 Gait Training 239,734 2,105,353 $46,293,879 $21.99
363 26055 — 70,888 135,438 $46,083,144 $340.25
365 78816 Whole-Body PET/CT Imaging 54,934 74,051 $45,922,011 $620.14
367 67904 — 31,293 66,579 $45,872,500 $688.99
370 93656 Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation 38,282 39,904 $45,118,465 $1,130.68
371 00567 — 53,153 66,318 $45,044,734 $679.22
374 96367 — 156,455 1,482,250 $44,923,969 $30.31
375 55700 — Retired after Q4 2025 142,914 165,414 $44,891,095 $271.39
166 92557 Comprehensive Hearing Assessment 1,100,221 1,194,352 $44,887,730 $37.58
379 93978 — 269,229 314,259 $44,839,620 $142.68
246 88112 Cytopathology Examination 693,695 1,070,264 $44,508,516 $41.59
381 10060 — 351,195 406,457 $44,124,602 $108.56
382 22842 — 52,536 83,898 $43,998,867 $524.43
384 01480 — 199,288 316,073 $43,998,567 $139.20
385 27096 — 220,431 326,301 $43,992,763 $134.82
386 01936 — Retired after Q4 2021 173,434 339,130 $43,762,682 $129.04
388 52601 — 45,824 48,586 $43,587,019 $897.11
327 93923 — 420,513 500,462 $43,546,974 $87.01
188 76705 Limited Abdominal Ultrasound 974,883 1,136,350 $43,473,218 $38.26
392 77295 — 132,269 153,041 $43,290,190 $282.87
394 76641 — 324,123 489,985 $43,174,924 $88.11
397 90836 — 109,352 542,993 $42,994,099 $79.18
399 98942 — 108,289 855,560 $42,978,825 $50.23
108 82746 Folate Laboratory Test 1,683,415 2,176,868 $42,666,215 $19.60
112 72100 Lumbar Spine Radiograph 1,616,304 2,026,561 $42,589,248 $21.02
401 22513 — 21,698 24,543 $42,551,494 $1,733.75
257 83880 Natriuretic Peptide Test 624,015 945,104 $42,509,173 $44.98
404 99348 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 2 192,696 521,623 $42,385,184 $81.26
405 64494 — 304,815 468,689 $41,835,372 $89.26
348 99225 — Retired after Q4 2022 394,549 584,410 $41,342,231 $70.74
409 11730 — 300,854 422,460 $41,259,795 $97.67
411 28285 — 46,321 102,584 $40,968,772 $399.37
413 49505 — 56,487 70,767 $40,885,072 $577.74
415 72197 Pelvic MRI With and Without Contrast 149,905 169,288 $40,848,723 $241.30
308 11055 — 464,835 902,164 $40,835,910 $45.26
128 51798 Bladder Residual Urine Measurement 1,369,973 2,106,421 $40,774,431 $19.36
361 99316 — 376,731 416,314 $40,628,852 $97.59
420 31500 — 244,577 280,557 $40,399,020 $144.00
417 97535 Self-Care and Home Management Training 309,923 1,360,013 $40,306,500 $29.64
270 93922 — 578,012 698,462 $40,272,444 $57.66
423 00300 — 159,400 248,479 $40,248,775 $161.98
163 73564 Complete Knee Radiograph Study 1,108,900 1,497,663 $40,234,705 $26.86
426 00562 — 43,200 53,154 $39,931,783 $751.25
337 76830 — 411,733 474,324 $39,717,965 $83.74
427 17262 — 213,477 270,614 $39,706,297 $146.73
429 65855 — 104,301 185,952 $39,269,600 $211.18
430 64633 — 45,666 91,281 $39,081,832 $428.15
433 95816 Electroencephalography Study 264,269 292,956 $39,052,736 $133.31
357 92235 — 385,307 492,983 $39,016,100 $79.14
436 19301 — 51,501 62,675 $38,737,203 $618.06
228 84403 Total Testosterone Test 741,772 1,115,347 $38,215,913 $34.26
440 90962 — 88,914 210,977 $38,108,242 $180.63
441 95819 — 209,480 227,950 $38,043,298 $166.89
132 73560 Limited Knee Radiograph Study 1,346,886 1,986,207 $37,816,203 $19.04
295 20550 — 499,035 806,387 $37,462,456 $46.46
266 76642 Limited Breast Ultrasound 594,878 734,717 $37,216,559 $50.65
445 36558 — 111,922 131,334 $37,200,636 $283.25
197 94010 Spirometry 922,824 1,268,030 $37,101,042 $29.26
448 00910 — 222,571 380,544 $36,890,369 $96.94
451 88377 — 65,489 160,943 $36,830,134 $228.84
186 94729 Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity Test 995,893 1,086,768 $36,702,480 $33.77
453 95911 — 163,059 169,395 $36,693,564 $216.62
454 01844 — 90,257 171,219 $36,318,143 $212.12
457 01230 — 119,845 169,945 $35,983,471 $211.74
443 88331 — 275,681 502,330 $35,862,622 $71.39
459 37221 — Retired after Q4 2025 30,136 34,052 $35,854,787 $1,052.94
463 45384 — 104,967 142,860 $35,762,829 $250.33
465 19083 — 106,991 110,681 $35,759,676 $323.09
332 76856 — 414,043 482,649 $35,709,439 $73.99
466 43249 — 99,067 144,560 $35,704,018 $246.98
468 01992 — 148,050 308,129 $35,575,363 $115.46
380 70498 Neck CT Angiography 352,560 379,250 $35,381,964 $93.29
472 01922 — 141,339 217,048 $35,201,693 $162.18
473 88360 — 184,735 468,673 $35,012,965 $74.71
446 93312 — 271,839 316,525 $34,696,273 $109.62
477 36907 — 40,559 64,550 $34,424,831 $533.30
478 37228 — Retired after Q4 2025 26,624 30,920 $34,382,002 $1,111.97
479 67210 — 43,291 70,348 $34,265,061 $487.08
481 00630 — 91,888 135,288 $34,173,979 $252.60
482 77373 — 5,460 25,619 $34,112,331 $1,331.52
297 70486 — 496,373 540,611 $34,054,015 $62.99
484 93975 — 187,836 218,260 $33,984,457 $155.71
485 00537 — 72,622 109,800 $33,912,656 $308.86
400 70496 Head CT Angiography 327,808 356,011 $33,715,197 $94.70
488 93460 — 88,263 89,444 $33,702,711 $376.80
467 88173 — 261,847 372,531 $33,199,831 $89.12
462 77002 — 265,063 481,484 $33,151,235 $68.85
490 43248 — 98,511 159,327 $33,093,306 $207.71
492 00320 — 106,388 166,037 $33,033,447 $198.95
111 87186 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing 1,648,151 2,885,152 $32,887,099 $11.40
494 22840 — 39,983 64,565 $32,835,763 $508.57
496 47563 — 42,286 51,349 $32,423,584 $631.44
416 99304 — 316,178 359,501 $32,337,249 $89.95
498 01630 — 117,273 166,326 $32,329,974 $194.38
500 37226 — Retired after Q4 2025 23,603 26,184 $32,280,922 $1,232.85
504 25609 — 16,705 25,111 $31,712,013 $1,262.87
486 86235 — 242,278 1,350,899 $31,554,496 $23.36
507 63030 — 27,680 44,073 $31,447,072 $713.52
57 82570 Urine Creatinine Test 3,027,969 4,556,620 $31,332,061 $6.88
509 67108 — 15,930 25,702 $31,180,072 $1,213.14
510 91110 — 51,279 53,279 $31,023,603 $582.29
512 63048 — 76,310 210,337 $30,879,058 $146.81
514 64561 Sacral Nerve Stimulation Electrode Placement 8,607 14,359 $30,852,895 $2,148.68
518 96375 — 179,008 1,413,451 $30,700,364 $21.72
313 72131 Lumbar Spine CT Without Contrast 446,301 492,376 $30,685,980 $62.32
35 81001 Urine Test With Microscope Exam 4,532,007 7,230,786 $30,667,753 $4.24
521 11602 — 186,857 219,392 $30,500,013 $139.02
522 20680 — 51,270 71,282 $30,307,837 $425.18
525 13101 — 83,559 95,320 $29,826,596 $312.91
529 92941 — 43,564 44,940 $29,719,056 $661.31
292 36620 — 517,030 574,842 $29,708,199 $51.68
531 65756 — 12,093 24,088 $29,704,293 $1,233.16
81 85027 Blood Cell Count 2,266,179 3,466,305 $29,650,431 $8.55
195 84481 Free Triiodothyronine Test 928,585 1,355,051 $29,575,209 $21.83
535 99236 — 131,992 138,656 $29,517,955 $212.89
511 99226 — Retired after Q4 2022 220,023 285,816 $29,512,678 $103.26
538 93459 — 95,267 101,517 $29,330,042 $288.92
539 27487 — 15,576 24,742 $29,224,880 $1,181.19
497 64484 — 230,395 392,698 $28,906,121 $73.61
414 93224 — 317,264 339,350 $28,501,738 $83.99
546 95910 — 156,735 161,072 $28,453,291 $176.65
387 97164 — 342,919 521,225 $28,310,238 $54.31
105 83735 Magnesium Laboratory Test 1,716,990 3,156,643 $28,210,615 $8.94
220 72110 Multi-View Lumbar Spine Radiograph 818,955 915,369 $27,588,878 $30.14
534 72146 — 205,291 230,414 $26,959,883 $117.01
452 70544 — 267,386 284,249 $26,597,270 $93.57
431 97163 — 297,312 319,712 $25,958,232 $81.19
291 92225 — Retired after Q4 2019 517,297 855,560 $25,951,003 $30.33
118 83550 Iron-Binding Capacity Test 1,434,109 2,262,131 $25,928,749 $11.46
67 82043 Urine Albumin Test 2,751,269 3,644,596 $25,562,570 $7.01
115 87088 Urine Culture Identification 1,514,062 2,394,340 $25,507,098 $10.65
203 73610 Ankle Radiograph 893,225 1,334,086 $24,903,686 $18.67
99 83540 Iron Laboratory Test 1,798,157 2,882,491 $24,797,203 $8.60
283 76775 — 542,016 610,258 $24,638,150 $40.37
502 70491 — 224,213 275,080 $24,629,206 $89.53
366 97035 — 371,036 2,386,202 $24,585,823 $10.30
169 93016 Cardiovascular Stress Test Supervision 1,088,214 1,117,793 $24,217,931 $21.67
226 92020 Gonioscopy 773,890 883,681 $23,808,177 $26.94
204 73130 Hand Radiograph 870,599 1,231,717 $22,493,723 $18.26
238 73110 Wrist Radiograph 715,489 1,086,472 $22,458,791 $20.67
130 87077 Microorganism Identification From Culture 1,351,062 2,155,899 $22,255,488 $10.32
263 94726 Pulmonary Lung Volume Study 607,244 652,929 $21,119,550 $32.35
480 78306 — 245,927 283,309 $20,829,901 $73.52
410 20605 — 322,110 455,208 $20,464,765 $44.96
210 88304 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level III 857,634 1,034,614 $19,538,611 $18.88
471 73700 — 257,717 293,999 $19,158,401 $65.16
140 93018 Cardiovascular Stress Test Interpretation 1,268,538 1,306,663 $19,052,901 $14.58
393 83861 — 334,836 855,455 $18,936,151 $22.14
475 99315 — 253,031 275,491 $18,899,487 $68.60
45 81003 Automated Urinalysis 3,892,857 6,279,567 $18,814,308 $3.00
239 84165 Serum Protein Electrophoresis 714,239 1,141,546 $18,369,218 $16.09
537 93926 — 200,368 262,802 $18,041,581 $68.65
493 20552 — 235,560 377,184 $17,752,894 $47.07
320 86334 Immunofixation Electrophoresis 429,501 702,493 $17,707,354 $25.21
261 87804 Influenza Antigen Test 610,727 1,122,531 $17,177,799 $15.30
513 92002 — 219,210 221,698 $17,117,896 $77.21
455 20600 — 267,381 404,998 $16,816,404 $41.52
403 99282 — 324,359 380,222 $15,041,048 $39.56
278 84480 — 563,898 783,603 $14,699,603 $18.76
142 86140 C-Reactive Protein Test 1,235,611 2,140,922 $14,609,744 $6.82
469 82378 — 261,198 568,978 $14,458,127 $25.41
241 86803 — 710,132 763,044 $14,392,978 $18.86
280 72040 — 553,570 693,450 $13,963,699 $20.14
232 72170 Pelvis Radiograph 729,614 842,186 $13,386,676 $15.90
315 73620 — 444,888 665,450 $13,335,347 $20.04
160 80076 Hepatic Function Panel 1,109,397 1,758,340 $13,122,952 $7.46
437 93308 — 285,945 349,931 $12,966,955 $37.06
506 94620 — Retired after Q4 2017 222,606 271,156 $12,932,926 $47.70
75 81002 Manual Urinalysis 2,469,380 3,821,898 $12,911,553 $3.38
172 84436 Total Thyroxine Test 1,055,429 1,419,685 $12,862,182 $9.06
247 86038 Antinuclear Antibody Test 689,070 790,553 $12,779,752 $16.17
516 83704 — 218,388 297,575 $12,395,967 $41.66
95 84550 Uric Acid Laboratory Test 1,961,173 3,200,957 $12,184,303 $3.81
464 87624 — 264,885 272,101 $12,167,728 $44.72
402 74230 — 325,484 384,965 $11,979,074 $31.12
390 94727 — 338,453 364,361 $11,899,054 $32.66
231 92567 Tympanometry 734,366 829,671 $11,803,351 $14.23
359 72050 — 381,381 422,007 $11,726,412 $27.79
255 83721 — 628,616 913,901 $11,556,039 $12.64
505 82670 — 223,860 310,240 $11,440,459 $36.88
302 94640 — 490,441 658,675 $11,398,207 $17.30
368 80305 — 368,054 825,812 $11,316,289 $13.70
495 84402 — 233,594 314,592 $10,666,474 $33.91
286 80069 Renal Function Panel 522,647 1,029,895 $10,595,190 $10.29
285 76937 — 523,986 670,278 $10,585,791 $15.79
543 83883 — 196,138 582,505 $10,361,307 $17.79
391 83516 — 338,242 693,284 $10,225,311 $14.75
377 93227 — 358,954 387,351 $10,186,018 $26.30
523 83520 — 212,672 577,115 $10,020,556 $17.36
378 11719 — 356,578 963,083 $9,971,109 $10.35
395 77001 — 330,869 414,527 $9,768,553 $23.57
412 84154 — 319,841 394,933 $9,732,538 $24.64
277 87880 Streptococcus Antigen Test 564,364 635,281 $9,625,048 $15.15
408 93320 — 322,396 351,978 $9,574,586 $27.20
338 86141 — 408,674 549,274 $9,537,776 $17.36
329 82274 — 420,364 451,650 $9,387,496 $20.78
289 88311 — 521,368 653,840 $9,139,179 $13.98
264 87070 — 606,325 761,925 $8,802,405 $11.55
159 82550 Creatine Kinase Test 1,120,114 1,717,358 $8,374,892 $4.88
355 73552 — 387,649 562,538 $8,372,280 $14.88
428 73140 — 298,494 399,718 $8,141,910 $20.37
491 73565 — 236,648 272,922 $8,063,048 $29.54
449 83090 — 270,533 345,835 $7,834,279 $22.65
536 76882 — 205,114 263,306 $7,685,954 $29.19
406 86376 — 323,022 387,315 $7,498,311 $19.36
520 83921 — 214,069 341,719 $7,466,983 $21.85
424 90471 — 302,434 323,607 $7,435,163 $22.98
135 85652 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Test 1,299,452 2,038,347 $7,353,765 $3.61
233 83615 Lactate Dehydrogenase Test 718,419 1,721,431 $7,309,583 $4.25
383 99406 — 348,926 541,348 $7,267,625 $13.43
184 81000 — 1,003,443 1,712,853 $7,236,128 $4.22
389 74022 — 342,550 415,213 $7,213,793 $17.37
343 73590 — 403,401 536,494 $7,060,857 $13.16
515 94762 — 218,562 242,968 $7,030,855 $28.94
201 84460 Alanine Aminotransferase Test 908,550 1,785,447 $6,914,410 $3.87
419 92285 — 309,351 375,770 $6,864,518 $18.27
311 76514 — 458,520 490,163 $6,857,625 $13.99
434 72070 — 291,463 339,992 $6,812,301 $20.04
272 84479 — 571,369 769,715 $6,516,580 $8.47
398 73080 — 328,395 404,858 $6,502,753 $16.06
487 86800 — 241,476 305,614 $6,432,983 $21.05
215 82947 — 836,386 1,613,202 $6,295,452 $3.90
438 73501 — 285,712 360,215 $6,202,541 $17.22
533 82533 — 207,479 282,454 $6,156,446 $21.80
432 71101 — 293,369 323,357 $5,910,766 $18.28
373 51741 — 360,440 468,088 $5,883,841 $12.57
154 82565 Blood Creatinine Test 1,129,568 1,757,128 $5,815,860 $3.31
202 84100 Phosphorus Laboratory Test 897,338 1,716,190 $5,430,391 $3.16
236 82962 — 715,825 1,757,135 $5,384,243 $3.06
499 92550 — 228,652 246,617 $5,361,249 $21.74
444 86200 — 272,252 303,305 $5,248,662 $17.30
442 73060 — 275,854 375,478 $5,231,943 $13.93
545 73600 — 194,898 270,432 $5,022,884 $18.57
508 86225 — 222,128 272,768 $5,005,215 $18.35
250 85651 — 647,366 1,055,409 $5,000,309 $4.74
275 84156 Urine Protein Test 567,146 974,831 $4,781,691 $4.91
517 83525 — 217,714 302,428 $4,615,075 $15.26
288 86431 — 522,131 604,346 $4,590,483 $7.60
352 83690 — 392,237 495,081 $4,493,275 $9.08
425 87340 — 301,067 324,942 $4,410,137 $13.57
369 82150 — 366,252 477,871 $4,145,536 $8.68
307 93325 Echocardiographic Color Flow Mapping 470,382 544,560 $4,107,456 $7.54
376 85730 — 360,199 504,494 $4,052,842 $8.03
540 71100 — 197,709 227,189 $4,024,581 $17.71
350 93005 — 393,941 454,938 $3,678,964 $8.09
501 86706 — 225,951 240,681 $3,448,962 $14.33
547 72072 — 194,808 210,422 $3,323,762 $15.80
530 76376 — 209,946 245,142 $3,316,154 $13.53
526 73090 — 210,443 256,368 $3,081,440 $12.02
331 82044 — 416,370 542,058 $2,852,892 $5.26
214 82248 Direct Bilirubin Test 837,436 1,277,124 $2,817,351 $2.21
528 93042 — 210,359 374,155 $2,719,692 $7.27
229 84450 — 735,591 1,142,365 $2,710,620 $2.37
341 82977 — 404,393 685,909 $2,468,181 $3.60
460 85045 — 266,187 366,568 $1,962,437 $5.35
458 87205 — 266,324 342,215 $1,887,827 $5.52
253 84520 — 635,653 945,043 $1,862,912 $1.97
335 82310 — 413,938 591,449 $1,793,324 $3.03
364 84132 — 373,877 560,659 $1,777,946 $3.17
422 85018 — 305,047 552,316 $1,739,781 $3.15
346 82270 — 397,430 398,259 $1,716,696 $4.31
447 80051 — 271,085 401,744 $1,713,712 $4.27
318 84155 — 432,852 588,555 $1,684,980 $2.86
483 86592 — 244,849 279,900 $1,598,501 $5.71
372 82040 — 364,428 556,574 $1,111,838 $2.00
396 84075 — 330,131 484,116 $809,744 $1.67
450 82247 — 269,749 445,052 $690,819 $1.55
519 84295 — 215,275 333,609 $624,508 $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 7,809 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2017, 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 56.4% of the $80.9B these 500 codes account for.

  1. 1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit $10.2B
  2. 2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit $6.6B
  3. 3 99232 Daily Hospital Visit $3.4B
  4. 4 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit $2.4B
  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 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises $1.5B
  10. 10 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient $1.5B

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
#27
By allowed dollars
#382
Per service
$3.00
Few patients, lots of money
37225 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Balloon Widening
By beneficiaries
#474
By allowed dollars
#59
Per service
$5,510.05

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

These are CY2017 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.

19 codes on this list have since left the fee schedule. They were billed heavily in CY2017 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 7,809 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2017; this table shows the top 500 we cover.

Source: CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners—by Geography and Service, national rows, CY2017. 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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