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

Medicare's 500 most-billed CPT codes of 2018

In CY2018 Medicare paid $82.8B across these 500 CPT codes. 99214 (Long Follow-Up Office Visit) leads every measure: 26.9M beneficiaries and $10.4B 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
$82.8B
Total Medicare allowed dollars
Services
1.3B
Times these codes were billed
Top 25
55.5%
Share of the allowed dollars
Vintage
CY2018
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 26,949,071 104,080,189 $10,442,500,177 $100.33
2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit 25,871,603 94,752,915 $6,445,696,625 $68.03
4 99232 Daily Hospital Visit 4,725,874 45,859,810 $3,299,004,026 $71.94
6 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit 3,614,130 23,798,637 $2,469,131,532 $103.75
7 66984 Cataract Surgery 1,268,766 10,000,733 $2,254,249,127 $225.41
10 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit 4,343,825 10,636,646 $2,137,747,269 $200.98
12 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency 6,764,786 11,539,869 $1,976,518,844 $171.28
14 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit 8,252,190 10,392,566 $1,622,274,160 $156.10
13 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient 9,615,965 12,367,726 $1,527,677,628 $123.52
17 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises 2,755,681 56,540,325 $1,454,091,958 $25.72
18 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit 5,817,604 10,205,100 $1,373,052,799 $134.55
20 99291 Critical Care 1,856,770 5,744,021 $1,278,931,740 $222.65
15 99203 New Patient Office Visit 9,067,326 11,291,463 $1,143,916,334 $101.31
22 88305 Biopsy Tissue Examination 7,736,177 19,769,227 $972,057,343 $49.17
24 99222 Hospital Admission Visit 3,353,237 6,614,984 $893,904,097 $135.13
25 93306 Heart Ultrasound 6,428,186 7,477,263 $883,689,992 $118.18
27 99309 Extended Nursing Home Visit 1,848,573 9,469,404 $807,379,887 $85.26
28 99308 Nursing Home Visit 1,948,401 11,038,926 $721,030,477 $65.32
30 90837 Extended Therapy Session 570,625 5,857,221 $650,697,278 $111.09
32 99284 Emergency Visit, High Urgency 4,024,568 5,640,301 $643,409,580 $114.07
33 90960 Monthly Dialysis Care, Frequent Visits 305,257 2,239,550 $633,460,774 $282.85
34 97140 Hands-On Physical Therapy 2,079,584 27,726,923 $616,951,795 $22.25
36 97530 Daily-Activity Therapy 1,198,567 15,940,574 $578,086,827 $36.27
38 92012 Established Patient Eye Examination, Intermediate 3,636,758 6,604,045 $575,858,759 $87.20
39 99205 Longest New Patient Office Visit 2,553,569 2,880,555 $563,296,422 $195.55
41 99239 Extended Hospital Discharge Visit 3,373,438 5,022,126 $533,827,933 $106.30
42 98941 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation, Multiple Regions 1,388,296 13,306,097 $516,278,688 $38.80
44 78452 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 1,803,448 1,884,355 $487,514,746 $258.72
26 99212 Brief Follow-Up Office Visit 6,718,012 11,696,461 $472,455,046 $40.39
47 97112 Balance and Coordination Therapy 1,254,406 14,640,554 $456,441,191 $31.18
48 27447 Knee Replacement 288,679 495,960 $446,868,269 $901.02
29 77067 Screening Mammogram 6,035,824 6,290,999 $434,126,575 $69.01
50 45385 Colonoscopy With Polyp Removal 905,794 1,326,820 $434,014,864 $327.11
51 17311 Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, First Stage 594,442 784,188 $426,522,079 $543.90
53 90834 Standard Therapy Session 618,988 4,995,351 $380,896,875 $76.25
54 78815 PET/CT Scan, Skull Base to Thigh 471,851 677,738 $379,680,838 $560.22
55 74177 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With Contrast 2,465,772 3,309,513 $372,909,418 $112.68
5 80053 Full Metabolic Blood Panel 14,372,936 28,898,908 $368,239,730 $12.74
58 67028 Intravitreal Medication Injection 643,357 3,290,909 $354,846,641 $107.83
60 45380 Colonoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,044,867 1,505,990 $344,546,632 $228.78
62 20610 Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 2,865,450 5,740,675 $341,002,914 $59.40
66 92004 New Patient Eye Examination, Comprehensive 2,136,626 2,239,682 $325,145,939 $145.18
67 43239 Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,340,247 1,951,789 $321,793,609 $164.87
69 11721 Debridement of Multiple Nails 2,614,005 7,064,201 $310,064,504 $43.89
9 80061 Cholesterol Blood Panel 12,638,541 19,185,601 $309,907,968 $16.15
11 84443 Thyroid Blood Test 10,002,759 15,146,340 $307,460,276 $20.30
43 17000 Precancerous Skin Spot Removal 3,959,838 5,841,313 $298,829,648 $51.16
56 92134 Retina Scan 3,116,923 7,040,189 $285,383,386 $40.54
72 93880 Carotid Artery Duplex Study 2,131,002 2,349,522 $283,258,154 $120.56
74 99231 Subsequent Hospital Care, Level 1 1,888,278 7,289,568 $278,441,137 $38.20
8 85025 Blood Cell Count With Differential 13,276,134 29,535,076 $276,759,560 $9.37
75 66821 Laser Treatment of the Posterior Lens Capsule 528,599 1,474,473 $272,769,337 $184.99
78 99220 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,242,735 1,476,114 $269,499,450 $182.57
79 63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement 30,661 48,235 $263,249,829 $5,457.65
82 96413 Intravenous Antineoplastic Infusion Administration 247,046 1,835,159 $254,515,406 $138.69
46 70450 Head CT Without Contrast 3,855,558 5,772,359 $253,993,939 $44.00
84 37225 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Balloon Widening Retired after Q4 2025 35,407 43,342 $252,659,582 $5,829.44
86 17110 Destruction of Benign Skin Lesions 1,750,334 2,334,101 $241,014,164 $103.26
87 64483 Lumbar or Sacral Transforaminal Epidural Injection 494,936 1,104,057 $240,959,095 $218.25
88 27130 Total Hip Arthroplasty 156,458 265,393 $239,239,687 $901.45
90 93229 Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Analysis 248,963 256,162 $235,491,071 $919.31
35 82306 Vitamin D Blood Test 4,725,265 6,440,793 $230,216,382 $35.74
93 99306 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 3 1,035,386 1,384,432 $228,771,869 $165.25
94 74176 Abdomen and Pelvis CT Without Contrast 1,852,369 2,351,903 $227,417,107 $96.69
97 80307 Presumptive Drug Screening 1,220,366 3,185,939 $222,149,306 $69.73
98 00142 Anesthesia for Lens Surgery 1,072,201 2,105,094 $215,075,009 $102.17
99 36902 Dialysis Circuit Endovascular Treatment 127,658 220,927 $214,962,745 $973.00
100 66982 Complex Cataract Surgery With Lens Implant 144,980 590,505 $213,004,546 $360.72
101 37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent Retired after Q4 2025 18,249 21,696 $206,110,462 $9,499.93
89 99238 Hospital Discharge Visit 2,088,104 2,773,276 $198,567,508 $71.60
105 77427 Radiation Treatment Management 245,398 1,058,193 $197,558,506 $186.69
23 93000 Heart Tracing 7,594,078 11,649,812 $197,380,895 $16.94
108 72148 Lumbar Spine MRI Without Contrast 1,308,469 1,502,286 $190,127,043 $126.56
109 37229 Leg Artery Plaque Removal Retired after Q4 2025 26,707 35,360 $187,407,008 $5,299.97
111 17312 Mohs Surgery, Additional Stage 301,970 490,956 $185,441,523 $377.72
114 99310 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 4 589,987 1,479,926 $184,529,075 $124.69
71 92083 Comprehensive Visual Field Examination 2,540,219 2,979,198 $183,929,967 $61.74
68 92250 Fundus Photography 2,828,515 3,368,029 $183,659,418 $54.53
117 00731 Anesthesia for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 1,048,990 1,643,725 $183,371,516 $111.56
63 96372 Therapeutic Injection Administration 2,971,065 9,450,627 $182,854,921 $19.35
120 70553 Brain MRI With and Without Contrast 851,684 1,045,098 $178,998,805 $171.27
123 99221 Initial Hospital Care, Level 1 1,326,842 1,804,498 $178,946,690 $99.17
21 71046 Chest X-Ray, Two Views 7,881,440 11,927,105 $178,680,790 $14.98
125 78492 Cardiac PET Scan, Multiple Studies 156,574 171,857 $178,092,000 $1,036.28
85 99283 Emergency Department Visit, Level 3 2,257,614 2,988,447 $177,819,499 $59.50
76 99202 New Patient Office Visit, Level 2 2,441,644 2,566,988 $177,111,106 $69.00
104 71250 Chest CT Without Contrast 1,806,932 2,314,034 $176,954,638 $76.47
19 83036 Average Blood Sugar Test 8,165,319 14,893,203 $174,339,286 $11.71
130 90961 Monthly Dialysis Care, Fewer Visits 236,213 731,199 $172,039,028 $235.28
131 64635 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Nerve Ablation 190,766 394,246 $169,404,318 $429.69
133 99490 Chronic Care Management 899,389 4,154,006 $168,851,844 $40.65
16 93010 Heart Tracing Reading 8,534,683 19,358,267 $164,073,785 $8.48
139 98940 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation 779,145 5,816,213 $159,353,512 $27.40
140 62323 Lumbar or Sacral Epidural Injection 448,512 891,318 $157,102,123 $176.26
31 71045 Chest X-Ray, One View 5,921,504 16,449,964 $155,308,301 $9.44
124 93970 Bilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,402,391 1,686,776 $155,128,884 $91.97
142 11042 Subcutaneous Tissue Wound Debridement 484,384 1,909,637 $155,014,648 $81.17
144 36475 Radiofrequency Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 61,353 110,342 $154,609,481 $1,401.18
145 64493 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Joint Injection 351,212 767,168 $152,806,349 $199.18
147 00811 Anesthesia for Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 1,082,018 1,413,638 $151,023,563 $106.83
149 52000 Diagnostic Cystoscopy 737,758 971,928 $149,809,070 $154.14
3 36415 Blood Draw 17,479,861 49,017,431 $143,684,566 $2.93
49 77063 3D Screening Mammogram 3,651,015 3,796,343 $141,413,097 $37.25
152 29827 Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair 69,181 129,747 $139,226,294 $1,073.06
154 99305 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 2 841,771 1,083,785 $138,886,176 $128.15
128 71260 Chest CT With Contrast 1,369,202 1,903,664 $137,944,289 $72.46
157 92928 Coronary Artery Stent Procedure 202,807 250,927 $137,737,220 $548.91
158 90832 Brief Therapy Session 398,957 2,346,373 $136,306,721 $58.09
161 99496 Transitional Care After Discharge, Prompt Contact 537,052 617,960 $135,400,992 $219.11
163 99349 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 3 280,836 1,123,267 $134,962,591 $120.15
165 93458 Coronary Angiography and Left Heart Catheterization 486,408 508,409 $134,688,813 $264.92
168 77301 Intensity-Modulated Radiation Treatment Planning 123,325 136,188 $132,577,315 $973.49
121 88342 Immunohistochemistry Study, Initial Antibody 1,455,547 2,170,104 $130,950,208 $60.34
172 95811 — 335,036 388,867 $123,869,951 $318.54
174 95951 — Retired after Q4 2019 69,754 205,073 $123,710,279 $603.25
175 93925 Bilateral Lower-Extremity Arterial Duplex Study 578,710 685,950 $123,401,092 $179.90
176 31231 Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy 427,029 622,045 $122,888,164 $197.56
173 70551 Brain MRI Without Contrast 1,060,464 1,182,729 $122,750,887 $103.79
169 71275 Chest CT Angiography 1,074,832 1,231,406 $120,745,843 $98.06
180 17004 Destruction of Multiple Premalignant Skin Lesions 567,910 851,003 $119,134,960 $139.99
182 11056 Paring of Multiple Benign Foot Lesions 817,522 2,050,123 $118,410,094 $57.76
148 97161 Physical Therapy Evaluation 1,229,521 1,383,720 $116,736,654 $84.36
185 00790 Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Surgery 311,628 462,503 $116,605,538 $252.12
187 01402 Anesthesia for Knee Arthroplasty 311,547 470,087 $115,894,356 $246.54
143 99497 Advance Care Planning 1,246,957 1,413,698 $114,098,037 $80.71
190 33533 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting 61,230 98,738 $113,728,444 $1,151.82
192 00670 Anesthesia for Spine Surgery 175,382 262,883 $112,498,048 $427.94
194 45378 Diagnostic Colonoscopy 401,872 508,964 $110,306,284 $216.73
197 90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation 824,990 922,587 $110,265,553 $119.52
159 97162 Detailed Physical Therapy Evaluation 1,159,228 1,296,816 $109,571,743 $84.49
198 73721 Lower-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 617,614 770,786 $107,983,024 $140.09
200 99307 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 1 827,427 2,499,618 $106,691,712 $42.68
201 27245 Surgical Fixation of a Proximal Femur Fracture 81,812 105,950 $105,969,831 $1,000.19
204 74178 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With and Without Contrast 509,279 589,305 $103,960,382 $176.41
206 99495 Transitional Care After Discharge 599,880 673,920 $102,895,493 $152.68
208 88312 Special Stain for Microorganisms 845,126 1,590,838 $102,575,120 $64.48
212 63047 Lumbar Spine Decompression Surgery 101,428 164,374 $101,108,183 $615.11
146 99217 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,239,014 1,412,809 $100,462,223 $71.11
162 92136 Ophthalmic Biometry for Intraocular Lens Planning 1,125,741 1,861,429 $98,266,989 $52.79
77 92133 Optic Nerve Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography 2,395,248 2,700,003 $95,974,617 $35.55
214 95810 — 286,678 316,775 $94,721,228 $299.02
215 23472 Total Shoulder Arthroplasty 58,465 94,174 $92,981,356 $987.34
65 17003 Additional Premalignant Skin Lesion Destruction 2,965,648 18,623,944 $92,926,119 $4.99
122 93971 Unilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,426,423 1,822,445 $92,639,837 $50.83
218 95165 Allergen Immunotherapy Preparation 198,821 7,445,088 $92,162,306 $12.38
220 88307 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level V 590,423 992,766 $91,567,018 $92.23
221 96365 Intravenous Therapeutic Infusion Administration 281,332 1,222,051 $88,177,587 $72.16
223 99219 — Retired after Q4 2022 592,440 659,056 $87,432,888 $132.66
224 13132 Complex Skin Wound Repair 258,329 305,227 $86,753,039 $284.22
226 90833 Psychotherapy With Evaluation and Management 384,255 1,363,053 $85,461,262 $62.70
151 76770 Complete Retroperitoneal Ultrasound 1,203,663 1,390,385 $84,376,828 $60.69
230 20611 Ultrasound-Guided Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 430,579 914,491 $83,761,397 $91.59
233 90966 Monthly Home Dialysis Services 51,341 354,340 $82,436,420 $232.65
234 72141 Cervical Spine MRI Without Contrast 583,835 657,510 $80,818,883 $122.92
236 64721 Open Carpal Tunnel Release 104,751 165,618 $80,434,843 $485.66
237 00813 Anesthesia for Combined Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 463,538 604,013 $79,363,334 $131.39
239 36478 — 36,361 68,821 $79,251,815 $1,151.56
242 95886 Needle Electromyography Study 550,964 947,072 $79,203,627 $83.63
243 90792 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation With Medical Services 504,855 575,614 $78,985,914 $137.22
245 90935 — 208,199 1,085,722 $78,664,794 $72.45
248 11043 Muscle and Fascia Wound Debridement 126,669 409,281 $76,346,849 $186.54
250 73221 Upper-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 444,362 545,061 $76,058,686 $139.54
254 22551 Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion 39,423 63,718 $75,424,295 $1,183.72
256 36903 — 18,246 21,841 $74,770,367 $3,423.39
207 76700 Complete Abdominal Ultrasound 880,896 1,012,873 $74,490,416 $73.54
261 47562 — 102,371 124,913 $74,164,004 $593.73
263 22633 — 37,483 61,952 $74,154,519 $1,196.97
40 80048 Basic Metabolic Blood Panel 4,056,212 7,173,776 $73,131,883 $10.19
61 82607 Vitamin B12 Laboratory Test 3,049,741 4,011,042 $73,007,863 $18.20
83 84153 Prostate-Specific Antigen Test 2,277,319 3,270,257 $72,577,835 $22.19
267 36905 — 28,975 46,299 $72,057,444 $1,556.35
269 99350 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 4 149,047 431,026 $71,373,699 $165.59
270 27236 — 56,329 78,092 $71,064,682 $910.01
166 72125 Cervical Spine CT Without Contrast 1,093,274 1,263,286 $70,863,113 $56.09
272 17313 Mohs Surgery on Trunk or Extremities, First Stage 102,443 129,109 $70,424,994 $545.47
153 69210 Impacted Earwax Removal 1,199,909 1,563,596 $69,799,101 $44.64
274 12032 Intermediate Skin Wound Repair 241,866 270,942 $68,573,584 $253.09
216 76536 Neck Soft-Tissue Ultrasound 828,487 952,134 $68,147,638 $71.57
209 11720 Debridement of Nails 854,579 2,098,612 $67,914,179 $32.36
278 74183 Abdominal MRI With and Without Contrast 276,300 335,861 $67,680,356 $201.51
279 00840 — 193,128 282,112 $66,368,859 $235.26
281 31575 — 495,554 644,823 $66,216,281 $102.69
155 99211 Established Patient Office Visit, Level 1 1,176,812 3,226,306 $65,836,939 $20.41
189 93015 Complete Cardiovascular Stress Test 976,155 1,004,908 $65,693,541 $65.37
285 33249 — 44,933 46,067 $65,526,000 $1,422.41
91 73502 Hip and Pelvis Radiograph 2,045,071 2,843,411 $64,943,880 $22.84
73 77080 Central Bone Density Study 2,514,566 2,617,150 $64,930,245 $24.81
288 33208 — 101,969 103,962 $64,823,889 $623.53
217 92226 — Retired after Q4 2019 819,215 2,159,307 $64,595,533 $29.91
290 01214 — 163,888 240,255 $63,415,689 $263.95
292 77300 — 262,442 1,387,128 $62,929,102 $45.37
296 13121 — 169,255 201,013 $61,317,435 $305.04
297 77280 Radiation Treatment Simulation 144,019 340,749 $61,149,102 $179.45
300 36906 — 11,844 15,123 $61,003,382 $4,033.81
112 73562 Knee Radiograph 1,722,198 2,512,684 $60,964,748 $24.26
305 99292 — 263,677 539,685 $59,478,709 $110.21
306 88185 — 84,080 1,886,931 $59,470,972 $31.52
251 88313 Special Histochemical Stain 681,802 1,563,388 $58,351,391 $37.32
308 33361 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement 35,624 66,429 $58,233,366 $876.63
103 73630 Foot Radiograph 1,810,788 2,853,505 $58,073,760 $20.35
310 15260 — 53,853 63,448 $57,544,813 $906.96
52 84439 Free T4 Thyroid Test 3,520,417 5,236,676 $56,978,947 $10.88
311 68761 Lacrimal Punctum Closure 180,732 410,763 $56,958,289 $138.66
313 36482 Adhesive Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 15,292 27,829 $56,808,853 $2,041.35
315 96401 Subcutaneous or Intramuscular Antineoplastic Injection Administration 142,517 716,337 $56,806,536 $79.30
316 65778 Ocular Surface Amniotic Membrane Placement 25,683 41,349 $56,771,531 $1,372.98
317 43235 — 317,344 395,483 $56,177,595 $142.05
295 00812 Anesthesia for Lower Gastrointestinal Screening Endoscopy 522,086 657,736 $56,076,602 $85.26
320 97116 Gait Training 258,727 2,307,974 $56,045,017 $24.28
322 67042 — 26,993 44,856 $56,005,947 $1,248.57
323 36561 — 130,026 138,234 $55,357,819 $400.46
325 97597 — 317,758 962,001 $54,959,929 $57.13
326 29881 — 55,462 82,233 $54,903,504 $667.66
329 95004 — 189,274 10,486,373 $54,700,044 $5.22
331 97113 — 69,561 1,736,240 $54,667,095 $31.49
273 77066 Bilateral Diagnostic Mammography 590,858 620,617 $54,240,722 $87.40
188 76942 — 986,595 1,253,877 $53,895,145 $42.98
92 73030 Shoulder Radiograph 2,013,236 2,851,343 $53,755,487 $18.85
255 77065 Unilateral Diagnostic Mammography 648,532 791,119 $53,690,473 $67.87
184 94060 Bronchodilator Responsiveness Testing 995,901 1,177,406 $53,529,721 $45.46
334 93656 Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation 44,953 46,668 $52,978,156 $1,135.21
335 64590 Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Battery Placement 11,717 14,999 $52,460,372 $3,497.59
337 62321 — 143,501 280,824 $52,313,804 $186.29
339 64490 — 113,165 250,254 $52,203,165 $208.60
341 50590 — 48,284 67,856 $51,978,824 $766.02
345 77338 — 123,219 158,431 $51,617,344 $325.80
347 22514 — 25,212 27,639 $51,432,151 $1,860.85
352 77290 — 175,926 226,160 $50,887,286 $225.01
353 26055 — 75,062 143,147 $50,663,020 $353.92
59 87086 Urine Culture 3,054,085 5,164,439 $50,318,285 $9.74
355 64636 — 174,350 442,160 $50,012,704 $113.11
360 87798 Infectious-Agent Molecular Detection 238,808 1,171,432 $49,411,903 $42.18
361 77263 — 272,088 294,570 $48,728,554 $165.42
364 77523 — 1,927 47,079 $48,160,704 $1,022.98
366 97535 Self-Care and Home Management Training 352,625 1,627,724 $47,697,710 $29.30
127 85610 Prothrombin Time Test 1,371,920 10,039,226 $47,563,655 $4.74
368 01936 — Retired after Q4 2021 185,244 360,756 $47,262,508 $131.01
369 55700 — Retired after Q4 2025 147,300 172,354 $47,253,814 $274.17
371 72158 — 232,675 266,554 $47,151,597 $176.89
373 00400 — 242,463 390,122 $47,059,699 $120.63
376 22513 — 22,368 25,201 $46,808,759 $1,857.42
110 82728 Ferritin Laboratory Test 1,728,019 2,835,529 $46,624,249 $16.44
380 98942 — 109,385 906,470 $46,331,216 $51.11
381 67904 — 31,103 67,042 $46,187,816 $688.94
164 92557 Comprehensive Hearing Assessment 1,122,143 1,216,429 $45,882,319 $37.72
383 27096 — 228,941 332,271 $45,771,416 $137.75
384 33405 — 20,645 32,738 $45,537,894 $1,390.98
386 22842 — 54,060 86,256 $45,481,757 $527.29
388 01480 — 201,618 321,900 $45,393,380 $141.02
390 76641 — 341,000 501,587 $45,362,999 $90.44
391 29880 — 42,184 63,902 $45,272,036 $708.46
394 93351 — 238,022 242,670 $44,688,222 $184.15
395 00567 — 51,729 64,587 $44,621,615 $690.88
397 35301 — 35,623 50,065 $44,365,925 $886.17
400 93978 — 263,986 303,297 $44,174,381 $145.65
193 76705 Limited Abdominal Ultrasound 971,789 1,135,567 $43,750,076 $38.53
377 36556 — 369,474 441,202 $43,411,114 $98.39
402 99183 — 17,755 404,534 $43,224,670 $106.85
403 64633 — 49,749 100,567 $43,174,518 $429.31
396 10060 — 339,095 389,918 $43,027,274 $110.35
333 70498 Neck CT Angiography 431,133 467,450 $43,022,361 $92.04
407 90836 — 106,355 522,496 $42,927,877 $82.16
408 77295 — 130,222 151,186 $42,871,079 $283.57
344 99225 — Retired after Q4 2022 405,637 601,400 $42,864,224 $71.27
253 88112 Cytopathology Examination 667,522 1,019,940 $42,692,396 $41.86
416 64494 — 311,890 478,876 $42,585,595 $88.93
418 72197 Pelvic MRI With and Without Contrast 172,574 195,139 $42,371,929 $217.14
346 93923 — 404,840 479,545 $42,280,459 $88.17
116 72100 Lumbar Spine Radiograph 1,592,361 1,995,960 $42,219,797 $21.15
160 73564 Complete Knee Radiograph Study 1,151,178 1,558,473 $42,158,351 $27.05
342 70496 Head CT Angiography 407,810 446,151 $42,026,336 $94.20
321 11055 — 470,106 909,916 $41,973,076 $46.13
367 99316 — 385,742 428,231 $41,914,064 $97.88
425 78816 Whole-Body PET/CT Imaging 51,931 71,195 $41,163,540 $578.18
427 95816 Electroencephalography Study 263,281 292,874 $41,062,956 $140.21
428 99348 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 2 187,690 501,056 $40,940,919 $81.71
429 28285 — 44,961 99,544 $40,818,521 $410.06
432 87633 — 56,743 83,507 $40,735,108 $487.80
433 17262 — 217,782 275,445 $40,733,819 $147.88
434 11730 — 293,988 408,716 $40,584,070 $99.30
436 19301 — 53,897 65,711 $40,580,513 $617.56
275 93922 — 585,264 703,392 $40,375,588 $57.40
439 87507 — 70,167 84,277 $40,324,914 $478.48
440 00300 — 157,266 244,229 $40,230,496 $164.72
442 90962 — 90,213 218,209 $39,727,782 $182.06
443 01922 — 156,922 243,282 $39,468,314 $162.23
444 31500 — 240,073 275,690 $39,399,103 $142.91
378 92235 — 355,946 454,030 $39,097,520 $86.11
351 76830 — 402,131 462,702 $39,082,924 $84.47
448 77373 — 6,064 28,544 $39,010,513 $1,366.68
113 82746 Folate Laboratory Test 1,688,767 2,191,744 $38,924,036 $17.76
257 83880 Natriuretic Peptide Test 630,875 949,127 $38,870,530 $40.95
451 43249 — 104,303 152,840 $38,673,437 $253.03
452 88377 — 66,672 168,339 $38,369,239 $227.93
454 52601 — 45,378 48,161 $38,199,105 $793.15
307 20550 — 506,686 811,584 $38,076,806 $46.92
456 36558 — 112,497 133,602 $38,071,485 $284.96
266 76642 Limited Breast Ultrasound 603,847 745,612 $37,998,205 $50.96
458 00562 — 40,315 49,601 $37,978,144 $765.67
460 37228 — Retired after Q4 2025 28,644 33,371 $37,951,204 $1,137.25
462 65855 — 98,299 176,560 $37,874,411 $214.51
463 95911 — 165,136 171,651 $37,697,885 $219.62
465 95819 — 197,955 215,190 $37,473,933 $174.14
466 00910 — 224,639 382,455 $37,451,299 $97.92
181 94729 Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity Test 1,004,541 1,095,284 $37,388,495 $34.14
470 00537 — 78,189 117,566 $36,900,177 $313.87
472 19083 — 109,689 113,276 $36,842,232 $325.24
199 94010 Spirometry 902,289 1,242,393 $36,620,831 $29.48
475 01230 — 120,318 170,950 $36,618,358 $214.21
449 93312 — 282,786 331,867 $36,589,303 $110.25
135 73560 Limited Knee Radiograph Study 1,303,927 1,923,203 $36,531,680 $19.00
479 49505 — 51,316 64,565 $36,409,897 $563.93
483 01844 — 89,266 168,085 $36,054,303 $214.50
485 37221 — Retired after Q4 2025 29,251 32,676 $36,007,242 $1,101.95
489 96367 — 137,187 1,140,977 $35,571,267 $31.18
232 84403 Total Testosterone Test 756,768 1,144,984 $35,550,745 $31.05
490 01992 — 147,959 301,753 $35,446,242 $117.47
492 93975 — 196,336 226,833 $35,186,601 $155.12
309 70486 — 501,858 546,473 $35,175,907 $64.37
467 88331 — 263,110 480,645 $34,902,509 $72.62
354 76856 — 397,892 462,033 $34,581,176 $74.85
497 00630 — 91,587 133,616 $34,244,150 $256.29
499 36907 — 42,271 66,376 $34,226,315 $515.64
500 25609 — 17,330 26,281 $34,181,408 $1,300.61
504 22840 — 40,850 66,086 $33,736,900 $510.50
505 43248 — 99,191 160,493 $33,624,282 $209.51
506 64561 Sacral Nerve Stimulation Electrode Placement 8,288 14,514 $33,599,023 $2,314.94
126 51798 Bladder Residual Urine Measurement 1,374,919 2,110,158 $33,577,531 $15.91
509 93460 — 88,188 89,368 $33,563,347 $375.56
457 77002 — 273,738 479,530 $33,464,357 $69.79
512 88360 — 208,842 512,165 $33,428,515 $65.27
513 00320 — 106,151 166,178 $33,366,457 $200.79
476 88173 — 256,981 367,883 $32,976,767 $89.64
517 67108 — 16,316 26,632 $32,849,514 $1,233.46
519 67210 — 39,862 65,788 $32,605,328 $495.61
521 01630 — 116,497 165,191 $32,524,202 $196.89
327 72131 Lumbar Spine CT Without Contrast 463,513 512,314 $32,171,171 $62.80
422 99304 — 314,369 356,120 $32,060,363 $90.03
503 99226 — Retired after Q4 2022 236,698 307,852 $31,752,267 $103.14
529 13101 — 87,653 99,600 $31,398,089 $315.24
533 37226 — Retired after Q4 2025 23,102 25,521 $31,239,259 $1,224.06
534 45384 — 90,996 123,599 $31,187,679 $252.33
538 91110 — 51,584 53,966 $31,103,986 $576.36
539 11602 — 191,252 224,185 $31,059,754 $138.55
540 47563 — 39,983 48,729 $31,038,478 $636.96
542 63030 — 26,238 42,443 $30,962,791 $729.51
544 65756 — 12,330 24,118 $30,795,267 $1,276.86
548 20680 — 50,973 71,349 $30,710,805 $430.43
480 86235 — 253,017 1,427,574 $30,564,868 $21.41
115 87186 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing 1,643,706 2,907,807 $30,375,588 $10.45
387 97164 — 344,828 531,085 $30,316,925 $57.08
191 84481 Free Triiodothyronine Test 975,428 1,431,142 $29,235,535 $20.43
510 64484 — 231,519 381,051 $28,881,836 $75.80
57 82570 Urine Creatinine Test 3,085,103 4,621,932 $28,828,282 $6.24
526 72146 — 212,858 239,159 $28,590,771 $119.55
37 81001 Urine Test With Microscope Exam 4,530,889 7,180,967 $27,478,616 $3.83
225 72110 Multi-View Lumbar Spine Radiograph 800,248 894,141 $27,446,952 $30.70
81 85027 Blood Cell Count 2,303,817 3,492,182 $27,241,509 $7.80
303 92225 — Retired after Q4 2019 513,026 847,441 $26,268,444 $31.00
441 93224 — 290,532 310,634 $26,245,478 $84.49
106 83735 Magnesium Laboratory Test 1,765,883 3,248,247 $26,224,939 $8.07
138 74018 Abdominal Radiograph 1,297,612 2,238,366 $25,836,491 $11.54
299 36620 — 516,632 575,575 $25,795,678 $44.82
70 82043 Urine Albumin Test 2,783,747 3,697,386 $25,750,167 $6.96
453 97163 — 279,978 304,183 $25,631,491 $84.26
486 70544 — 251,268 267,449 $25,615,476 $95.78
203 73610 Ankle Radiograph 896,229 1,348,858 $25,432,221 $18.85
119 83550 Iron-Binding Capacity Test 1,484,025 2,349,520 $24,751,746 $10.53
508 70491 — 232,486 286,676 $24,422,610 $85.19
202 73130 Hand Radiograph 898,814 1,277,739 $24,221,428 $18.96
228 92020 Gonioscopy 769,664 882,051 $23,942,857 $27.14
304 76775 — 510,439 576,213 $23,539,203 $40.85
177 93016 Cardiovascular Stress Test Supervision 1,048,516 1,075,831 $23,418,108 $21.77
118 87088 Urine Culture Identification 1,513,754 2,389,109 $23,336,276 $9.77
398 97035 — 339,067 2,179,850 $23,323,673 $10.70
102 83540 Iron Laboratory Test 1,848,528 2,974,569 $23,209,098 $7.80
501 78306 — 236,993 274,343 $23,028,342 $83.94
231 87804 Influenza Antigen Test 761,680 1,433,917 $22,997,983 $16.04
238 73110 Wrist Radiograph 721,684 1,102,360 $22,739,144 $20.63
264 94726 Pulmonary Lung Volume Study 621,206 669,090 $22,580,206 $33.75
450 73700 — 280,975 322,457 $21,313,572 $66.10
129 87077 Microorganism Identification From Culture 1,369,200 2,173,672 $21,171,120 $9.74
420 20605 — 316,532 443,597 $20,291,597 $45.74
213 88304 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level III 840,724 1,019,968 $19,684,118 $19.30
549 93926 — 205,433 269,730 $18,851,749 $69.89
150 93018 Cardiovascular Stress Test Interpretation 1,229,179 1,264,258 $18,525,873 $14.65
235 84165 Serum Protein Electrophoresis 738,164 1,188,909 $18,245,505 $15.35
493 99315 — 242,718 264,967 $18,104,074 $68.33
421 83861 — 315,847 813,300 $17,860,835 $21.96
330 86334 Immunofixation Electrophoresis 450,350 749,768 $17,578,085 $23.44
515 20552 — 230,179 365,422 $17,291,864 $47.32
459 20600 — 271,846 409,928 $17,252,070 $42.09
528 92002 — 211,886 214,405 $17,202,271 $80.23
96 84550 Uric Acid Laboratory Test 1,938,361 3,134,755 $17,056,592 $5.44
45 81003 Automated Urinalysis 3,892,655 6,302,721 $16,988,922 $2.70
179 80076 Hepatic Function Panel 1,035,022 1,627,671 $16,017,321 $9.84
541 64447 — 207,248 236,029 $15,294,670 $64.80
426 99282 — 310,318 366,133 $14,554,467 $39.75
284 72040 — 555,472 696,528 $14,231,496 $20.43
195 84460 Alanine Aminotransferase Test 936,320 2,206,369 $14,009,261 $6.35
141 86140 C-Reactive Protein Test 1,285,100 2,225,599 $13,878,580 $6.24
417 93308 — 320,449 394,095 $13,609,656 $34.53
240 72170 Pelvis Radiograph 715,883 828,122 $13,122,499 $15.85
473 82378 — 259,084 561,282 $12,840,522 $22.88
171 82550 Creatine Kinase Test 1,068,738 1,636,962 $12,837,514 $7.84
338 73620 — 422,948 633,766 $12,674,543 $20.00
291 84480 — 529,133 737,327 $12,624,638 $17.12
227 92567 Tympanometry 770,023 867,968 $12,410,854 $14.30
409 94727 — 329,221 354,353 $12,236,634 $34.53
80 81002 Manual Urinalysis 2,321,876 3,584,893 $12,147,019 $3.39
419 74230 — 317,037 374,472 $11,912,922 $31.81
244 83615 Lactate Dehydrogenase Test 695,560 1,645,230 $11,905,521 $7.24
375 72050 — 373,508 414,339 $11,674,941 $28.18
260 86803 — 624,053 674,928 $11,611,723 $17.20
249 86038 Antinuclear Antibody Test 688,038 789,199 $11,497,968 $14.57
359 80305 — 394,148 882,202 $11,495,070 $13.03
286 76937 — 550,371 710,683 $11,404,556 $16.05
318 94640 — 480,342 636,658 $11,226,714 $17.63
183 84436 Total Thyroxine Test 1,000,834 1,348,731 $11,186,921 $8.29
507 82670 — 236,111 332,162 $11,178,660 $33.65
156 82565 Blood Creatinine Test 1,162,112 1,820,616 $11,162,973 $6.13
523 76882 — 216,614 279,733 $11,094,385 $39.66
289 80069 Renal Function Panel 536,163 1,055,382 $11,034,941 $10.46
488 87624 — 250,282 257,529 $10,919,594 $42.40
282 87880 Streptococcus Antigen Test 565,689 632,961 $10,113,595 $15.98
495 84402 — 242,291 326,719 $10,009,602 $30.64
532 83883 — 209,388 609,020 $9,973,898 $16.38
404 83516 — 334,284 706,911 $9,817,524 $13.89
196 84100 Phosphorus Laboratory Test 910,290 1,733,774 $9,806,133 $5.66
277 83721 — 582,983 847,106 $9,743,197 $11.50
399 11719 — 339,052 905,753 $9,677,131 $10.68
410 93320 — 327,047 358,861 $9,668,858 $26.94
389 93227 — 343,934 364,371 $9,624,527 $26.41
518 83520 — 225,724 560,105 $9,446,231 $16.87
301 88311 — 515,040 659,495 $9,367,990 $14.20
412 77001 — 323,308 406,089 $9,335,294 $22.99
393 84154 — 339,342 420,149 $9,325,328 $22.20
363 73552 — 392,056 570,189 $8,524,030 $14.95
430 73140 — 300,538 403,013 $8,392,912 $20.83
362 82274 — 393,190 421,606 $8,065,697 $19.13
370 86141 — 383,814 515,505 $8,055,972 $15.63
268 87070 — 594,395 743,024 $7,737,978 $10.41
413 92285 — 323,207 392,803 $7,253,152 $18.47
222 82248 Direct Bilirubin Test 815,400 1,238,752 $7,247,339 $5.85
530 73565 — 211,549 244,661 $7,178,493 $29.34
392 86376 — 340,293 408,766 $7,174,870 $17.55
219 82947 — 818,597 1,520,463 $7,149,338 $4.70
350 73590 — 402,819 536,221 $7,033,408 $13.12
328 76514 — 454,378 486,519 $6,988,129 $14.36
543 83921 — 207,032 335,973 $6,914,647 $20.58
241 84450 — 714,764 1,117,283 $6,874,726 $6.15
132 85652 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Test 1,332,851 2,110,134 $6,854,400 $3.25
401 73080 — 335,186 416,055 $6,818,298 $16.39
374 74019 — 374,889 477,458 $6,780,245 $14.20
446 72070 — 286,187 333,762 $6,761,078 $20.26
415 99406 — 321,328 492,486 $6,620,263 $13.44
477 83090 — 254,351 323,115 $6,587,679 $20.39
431 71101 — 297,821 329,076 $6,214,294 $18.88
482 86800 — 252,289 320,847 $6,158,344 $19.19
445 74022 — 286,254 343,802 $6,023,824 $17.52
437 90471 — 294,352 316,005 $5,986,794 $18.95
205 81000 — 882,351 1,499,905 $5,871,678 $3.91
287 84479 — 541,544 731,496 $5,709,136 $7.80
545 82533 — 206,669 289,141 $5,682,819 $19.65
348 82977 — 404,186 662,599 $5,679,070 $8.57
385 51741 — 344,861 445,137 $5,558,706 $12.49
478 73501 — 253,461 318,866 $5,443,239 $17.07
247 82962 — 694,046 1,673,835 $5,311,519 $3.17
522 92550 — 221,015 237,713 $5,264,914 $22.15
455 73060 — 275,311 374,558 $5,195,349 $13.87
447 86200 — 283,818 314,411 $4,897,337 $15.58
514 86225 — 230,273 282,290 $4,666,956 $16.53
271 84156 Urine Protein Test 594,258 1,024,121 $4,533,774 $4.43
262 84520 — 622,886 953,705 $4,510,374 $4.73
314 82310 — 484,692 728,847 $4,479,342 $6.15
312 93325 Echocardiographic Color Flow Mapping 487,517 569,708 $4,182,363 $7.34
298 86431 — 521,725 608,332 $4,161,127 $6.84
365 83690 — 386,631 483,753 $4,020,126 $8.31
280 85651 — 578,564 938,980 $4,009,335 $4.27
547 83525 — 206,438 288,332 $3,980,045 $13.80
438 87340 — 291,971 317,432 $3,944,738 $12.43
340 82040 — 415,117 635,177 $3,708,467 $5.84
358 93005 — 395,139 455,043 $3,704,291 $8.14
379 82150 — 353,121 460,865 $3,600,444 $7.81
336 84132 — 425,826 667,026 $3,583,461 $5.37
511 76376 — 231,016 266,882 $3,550,704 $13.30
382 85730 — 351,273 476,668 $3,460,309 $7.26
372 84075 — 377,702 559,169 $3,388,608 $6.06
406 82247 — 330,416 531,109 $3,090,762 $5.82
484 80051 — 251,554 366,753 $3,083,219 $8.41
356 82044 — 396,820 510,493 $3,077,551 $6.03
537 73090 — 208,334 254,055 $3,042,418 $11.98
535 86706 — 208,523 223,680 $2,893,689 $12.94
324 84155 — 463,603 644,869 $2,799,380 $4.34
498 84295 — 238,905 404,047 $2,317,730 $5.74
469 87205 — 260,520 334,235 $1,721,376 $5.15
471 85045 — 259,137 353,237 $1,702,201 $4.82
435 85018 — 294,524 525,530 $1,499,216 $2.85
491 86592 — 243,793 278,412 $1,434,926 $5.15
405 82270 — 333,346 333,843 $1,423,665 $4.26

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 7,826 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2018, 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 55.5% of the $82.8B these 500 codes account for.

  1. 1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit $10.4B
  2. 2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit $6.4B
  3. 3 99232 Daily Hospital Visit $3.3B
  4. 4 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit $2.5B
  5. 5 66984 Cataract Surgery $2.3B
  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 $1.5B

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
#29
By allowed dollars
#395
Per service
$2.70
Few patients, lots of money
63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement
By beneficiaries
#477
By allowed dollars
#54
Per service
$5,457.65

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

These are CY2018 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.

16 codes on this list have since left the fee schedule. They were billed heavily in CY2018 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 7,826 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2018; this table shows the top 500 we cover.

Source: CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners—by Geography and Service, national rows, CY2018. 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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