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

Medicare's 500 most-billed CPT codes of 2020

In CY2020 Medicare paid $74.6B across these 500 CPT codes. 99214 (Long Follow-Up Office Visit) leads every measure: 25.0M beneficiaries and $9.1B 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
$74.6B
Total Medicare allowed dollars
Services
1.1B
Times these codes were billed
Top 25
54.6%
Share of the allowed dollars
Vintage
CY2020
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
86 37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent Retired after Q4 2025 17,890 21,700 $229,480,992 $10,575.16
535 37231 — Retired after Q4 2025 2,408 2,927 $28,896,292 $9,872.32
63 37229 Leg Artery Plaque Removal Retired after Q4 2025 28,510 39,686 $322,833,315 $8,134.69
69 63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement 25,358 41,909 $272,569,802 $6,503.85
84 37225 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Balloon Widening Retired after Q4 2025 32,722 41,729 $231,339,118 $5,543.85
258 64590 Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Battery Placement 11,980 15,998 $70,514,966 $4,407.74
268 36906 — 11,670 16,271 $68,431,589 $4,205.74
239 36903 — 17,641 22,876 $75,790,505 $3,313.10
463 64561 Sacral Nerve Stimulation Electrode Placement 8,256 14,505 $34,149,195 $2,354.31
339 22514 — 20,460 22,463 $49,941,719 $2,223.29
355 22513 — 17,842 20,287 $44,730,890 $2,204.90
233 36482 Adhesive Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 21,472 40,356 $76,945,451 $1,906.67
241 36905 — 25,739 44,693 $74,660,264 $1,670.51
303 33249 — 34,901 35,957 $58,340,565 $1,622.51
318 36465 Foam Sclerotherapy of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 19,211 35,027 $54,627,609 $1,559.59
493 37226 — Retired after Q4 2025 20,232 22,319 $32,556,840 $1,458.71
324 65778 Ocular Surface Amniotic Membrane Placement 22,666 37,660 $53,367,062 $1,417.08
403 25609 — 17,795 28,409 $39,966,597 $1,406.83
182 36475 Radiofrequency Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 45,171 81,149 $106,346,142 $1,310.50
336 67042 — 23,174 39,083 $50,709,937 $1,297.49
256 22551 Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion 33,548 55,888 $71,199,921 $1,273.98
502 67108 — 14,787 24,863 $31,654,728 $1,273.17
112 78492 Cardiac PET Scan, Multiple Studies 138,398 153,323 $188,925,994 $1,232.21
392 37228 — Retired after Q4 2025 28,303 33,262 $40,964,542 $1,231.57
273 22633 — 32,594 54,291 $66,194,610 $1,219.26
399 77373 — 6,972 33,307 $40,024,815 $1,201.69
213 33533 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting 46,832 75,839 $89,758,736 $1,183.54
302 93656 Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation 48,959 50,491 $58,870,365 $1,165.96
542 55866 — 18,751 25,041 $28,614,574 $1,142.71
162 29827 Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair 60,390 117,443 $130,551,686 $1,111.62
45 27447 Knee Replacement 233,984 418,901 $460,772,568 $1,099.96
280 77523 — 2,611 62,151 $65,134,644 $1,048.01
422 36478 — 21,276 37,194 $38,240,045 $1,028.12
185 27245 Surgical Fixation of a Proximal Femur Fracture 78,609 103,694 $104,822,730 $1,010.89
205 23472 Total Shoulder Arthroplasty 56,711 92,932 $92,898,936 $999.64
98 36902 Dialysis Circuit Endovascular Treatment 114,150 219,696 $218,784,735 $995.85
149 77301 Intensity-Modulated Radiation Treatment Planning 132,862 147,736 $138,627,619 $938.35
251 27236 — 54,941 77,544 $71,674,003 $924.30
334 15260 — 47,521 55,507 $50,919,411 $917.35
93 27130 Total Hip Arthroplasty 142,566 244,949 $224,220,434 $915.38
480 35301 — 26,127 36,592 $33,251,712 $908.72
78 93229 Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Analysis 271,667 281,691 $249,743,310 $886.59
531 29828 — 17,756 33,589 $28,940,102 $861.59
473 52601 — 37,588 40,195 $33,566,567 $835.09
279 33361 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement 43,662 82,260 $65,330,182 $794.19
455 29880 — 30,769 48,121 $34,909,368 $725.45
465 67904 — 21,170 47,434 $33,874,906 $714.15
447 00567 — 40,249 50,549 $35,600,691 $704.28
442 50590 — 38,281 52,569 $36,850,646 $701.00
286 33208 — 89,117 91,523 $63,333,605 $692.00
363 29881 — 41,659 63,291 $43,452,737 $686.55
405 19301 — 49,946 61,272 $39,789,816 $649.40
215 63047 Lumbar Spine Decompression Surgery 83,488 139,372 $88,952,620 $638.24
292 47562 — 81,737 101,301 $62,162,685 $613.64
50 78815 PET/CT Scan, Skull Base to Thigh 452,411 650,786 $394,884,849 $606.78
544 49505 — 37,410 48,399 $28,343,722 $585.63
369 78816 Whole-Body PET/CT Imaging 55,640 75,599 $43,213,848 $571.62
174 92928 Coronary Artery Stent Procedure 166,893 206,550 $116,691,500 $564.96
48 17311 Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, First Stage 578,395 759,802 $424,163,560 $558.26
230 17313 Mohs Surgery on Trunk or Extremities, First Stage 111,136 141,380 $78,885,358 $557.97
378 22842 — 49,409 79,923 $42,533,059 $532.18
529 49650 — 41,612 55,433 $29,003,829 $523.22
518 22840 — 35,102 57,643 $29,676,059 $514.83
262 64721 Open Carpal Tunnel Release 87,770 140,138 $70,190,088 $500.86
556 36907 — 39,702 62,223 $27,893,566 $448.28
140 64635 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Nerve Ablation 174,514 346,473 $153,804,067 $443.91
370 52442 — 24,353 97,583 $43,173,368 $442.43
391 64633 — 47,974 93,711 $41,348,879 $441.24
509 00560 — 54,972 71,750 $31,405,799 $437.71
193 00670 Anesthesia for Spine Surgery 151,472 229,142 $100,276,628 $437.62
327 36561 — 116,882 124,285 $51,716,704 $416.11
512 28285 — 33,100 73,923 $30,570,618 $413.55
333 87633 — 101,591 124,013 $51,218,774 $413.01
118 17312 Mohs Surgery, Additional Stage 285,945 457,614 $180,485,398 $394.41
521 93460 — 74,554 75,884 $29,298,116 $386.09
351 26055 — 69,090 133,461 $46,310,552 $347.00
126 66982 Complex Cataract Surgery With Lens Implant 110,785 478,349 $163,724,745 $342.27
52 45385 Colonoscopy With Polyp Removal 764,840 1,126,678 $380,769,508 $337.96
272 95811 — 181,165 207,630 $66,959,932 $322.50
323 77338 — 131,901 166,718 $53,463,400 $320.68
487 19083 — 101,152 104,503 $32,836,044 $314.21
310 13121 — 154,781 183,541 $57,018,642 $310.66
431 00537 — 79,991 120,599 $37,367,302 $309.85
421 36558 — 106,961 126,513 $38,366,864 $303.26
307 95810 — 173,513 190,300 $57,565,777 $302.50
426 77295 — 113,761 130,351 $38,004,431 $291.55
32 90960 Monthly Dialysis Care, Frequent Visits 296,371 2,174,866 $633,394,811 $291.23
245 13132 Complex Skin Wound Repair 218,680 255,782 $73,975,979 $289.21
380 55700 — Retired after Q4 2025 130,535 153,040 $42,508,467 $277.76
178 93458 Coronary Angiography and Left Heart Catheterization 393,132 413,060 $113,992,520 $275.97
444 43249 — 91,558 134,102 $36,284,251 $270.57
305 01214 — 148,228 216,741 $57,651,052 $265.99
536 00630 — 76,086 109,278 $28,793,558 $263.49
56 78452 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 1,358,456 1,412,775 $369,882,143 $261.81
187 00790 Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Surgery 270,042 403,398 $104,803,810 $259.80
247 12032 Intermediate Skin Wound Repair 254,434 285,648 $73,294,623 $256.59
197 01402 Anesthesia for Knee Arthroplasty 253,251 381,053 $95,206,694 $249.85
91 64483 Lumbar or Sacral Transforaminal Epidural Injection 429,160 929,955 $227,851,064 $245.01
130 90961 Monthly Dialysis Care, Fewer Visits 221,427 667,792 $161,535,515 $241.89
199 90966 Monthly Home Dialysis Services 57,394 393,967 $94,541,988 $239.97
284 00840 — 182,067 267,242 $63,565,258 $237.86
152 99496 Transitional Care After Discharge, Prompt Contact 515,614 593,360 $137,303,223 $231.40
70 45380 Colonoscopy With Tissue Sampling 818,592 1,183,423 $272,233,624 $230.04
341 64490 — 96,294 209,275 $47,794,071 $228.38
14 99291 Critical Care 1,822,169 6,268,263 $1,420,178,476 $226.57
9 66984 Cataract Surgery 958,817 7,498,575 $1,661,670,850 $221.60
227 45378 Diagnostic Colonoscopy 289,440 368,421 $81,633,950 $221.58
482 65855 — 83,524 149,485 $33,086,672 $221.34
385 77290 — 151,237 189,119 $41,844,972 $221.26
150 64493 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Joint Injection 290,606 629,849 $137,968,007 $219.05
508 95911 — 138,915 144,201 $31,485,788 $218.35
491 01844 — 80,206 150,045 $32,745,424 $218.24
533 52332 — 94,318 132,845 $28,926,832 $217.75
448 01230 — 113,536 162,842 $35,287,216 $216.70
349 72197 Pelvic MRI With and Without Contrast 194,978 220,420 $47,109,463 $213.73
526 00320 — 90,648 141,166 $29,041,087 $205.72
8 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit 3,826,379 9,478,757 $1,940,126,470 $204.68
345 62321 — 123,643 233,281 $47,515,842 $203.69
478 95819 — 148,418 164,431 $33,308,674 $202.57
252 77280 Radiation Treatment Simulation 121,048 355,505 $71,639,321 $201.51
191 11043 Muscle and Fascia Wound Debridement 132,282 513,374 $102,510,874 $199.68
41 99205 Longest New Patient Office Visit 2,105,216 2,363,899 $471,529,577 $199.47
266 74183 Abdominal MRI With and Without Contrast 292,933 353,586 $70,097,395 $198.25
515 88377 — 57,755 153,489 $30,225,252 $196.92
113 77427 Radiation Treatment Management 230,389 959,205 $188,171,878 $196.17
89 66821 Laser Treatment of the Posterior Lens Capsule 436,047 1,167,145 $228,706,999 $195.95
154 62323 Lumbar or Sacral Epidural Injection 369,960 701,250 $135,972,395 $193.90
472 93351 — 172,839 177,077 $33,592,636 $189.71
196 74178 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With and Without Contrast 440,221 510,259 $96,642,569 $189.40
434 90962 — 85,682 198,902 $37,241,846 $187.24
217 31231 Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy 340,769 476,605 $88,531,295 $185.75
138 52000 Diagnostic Cystoscopy 636,519 833,550 $154,238,641 $185.04
83 99220 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,061,410 1,256,140 $231,546,148 $184.33
181 93925 Bilateral Lower-Extremity Arterial Duplex Study 509,266 607,022 $109,793,408 $180.87
425 72158 — 191,122 218,647 $38,150,592 $174.48
340 77263 — 258,949 280,273 $48,796,521 $174.10
12 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency 5,647,089 9,264,177 $1,612,707,004 $174.08
133 70553 Brain MRI With and Without Contrast 735,133 912,896 $158,381,458 $173.49
192 99495 Transitional Care After Discharge 534,872 592,378 $102,457,568 $172.96
489 00300 — 124,941 192,458 $32,758,106 $170.21
115 99306 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 3 809,600 1,082,719 $183,448,804 $169.43
238 99350 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 4 156,277 454,159 $76,369,875 $168.16
495 90868 — 7,250 195,150 $32,298,791 $165.51
71 43239 Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,079,405 1,564,894 $257,267,719 $164.40
437 01922 — 145,538 227,593 $37,058,435 $162.83
498 93975 — 173,077 199,063 $31,968,719 $160.60
16 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit 7,021,238 8,714,480 $1,384,474,511 $158.87
175 17004 Destruction of Multiple Premalignant Skin Lesions 517,300 745,616 $116,287,855 $155.96
457 95816 Electroencephalography Study 209,306 229,626 $34,890,890 $151.95
401 17262 — 209,193 264,997 $39,990,553 $150.91
76 92004 New Patient Eye Examination, Comprehensive 1,617,485 1,686,087 $251,062,096 $148.90
357 31500 — 260,373 298,745 $44,372,417 $148.53
443 93978 — 220,422 250,799 $36,780,473 $146.65
394 27096 — 199,145 278,904 $40,695,988 $145.91
407 01480 — 170,945 275,231 $39,718,076 $144.31
329 68761 Lacrimal Punctum Closure 160,139 361,095 $51,625,961 $142.97
382 43235 — 241,124 297,791 $42,505,763 $142.74
265 90792 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation With Medical Services 430,702 493,184 $70,174,556 $142.29
282 73221 Upper-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 377,378 462,625 $65,066,139 $140.65
73 96413 Intravenous Antineoplastic Infusion Administration 249,025 1,833,851 $256,236,631 $139.73
219 73721 Lower-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 502,134 623,823 $87,114,408 $139.65
26 99222 Hospital Admission Visit 2,788,763 5,381,895 $748,480,320 $139.07
20 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit 5,023,330 8,686,203 $1,191,595,500 $137.18
243 00813 Anesthesia for Combined Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 425,088 551,010 $74,566,826 $135.33
275 99219 — Retired after Q4 2022 444,348 489,424 $65,903,797 $134.66
393 01936 — Retired after Q4 2021 162,739 304,371 $40,943,897 $134.52
540 11602 — 181,701 213,671 $28,624,977 $133.97
132 72148 Lumbar Spine MRI Without Contrast 1,081,277 1,240,856 $161,487,949 $130.14
190 99305 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 2 621,517 793,327 $103,219,256 $130.11
13 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient 8,166,499 10,350,041 $1,312,199,118 $126.78
88 93880 Carotid Artery Duplex Study 1,658,066 1,818,269 $229,008,431 $125.95
214 90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation 630,405 707,307 $89,074,953 $125.94
101 99310 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 4 576,906 1,672,830 $209,635,138 $125.32
416 00400 — 193,041 312,184 $38,833,381 $124.39
25 93306 Heart Ultrasound 5,582,999 6,410,689 $783,070,891 $122.15
161 99349 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 3 291,140 1,089,811 $132,693,950 $121.76
278 72141 Cervical Spine MRI Without Contrast 482,752 542,583 $65,544,422 $120.80
510 01992 — 130,672 256,835 $30,798,449 $119.92
54 74177 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With Contrast 2,318,988 3,160,941 $376,773,527 $119.20
343 64636 — 162,983 403,361 $47,771,204 $118.43
27 90837 Extended Therapy Session 515,688 6,091,824 $720,916,475 $118.34
40 99284 Emergency Visit, High Urgency 2,964,233 4,008,718 $473,192,617 $118.04
424 10060 — 266,142 302,314 $34,923,108 $115.52
137 00731 Anesthesia for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 871,166 1,355,942 $155,363,383 $114.58
321 31575 — 381,651 479,278 $54,473,151 $113.66
537 49083 — 64,787 253,363 $28,781,572 $113.60
456 93312 — 241,375 281,293 $31,843,711 $113.20
271 99292 — 271,877 596,963 $66,991,056 $112.22
387 11104 — 295,840 318,244 $35,424,524 $111.31
446 99183 — 13,613 325,788 $36,219,692 $111.18
57 67028 Intravitreal Medication Injection 652,667 3,287,314 $362,367,651 $110.23
164 00811 Anesthesia for Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 885,882 1,150,237 $126,049,599 $109.59
557 72146 — 183,734 206,259 $22,405,753 $108.63
38 99239 Extended Hospital Discharge Visit 3,094,970 4,565,946 $491,142,521 $107.57
453 11730 — 243,105 325,812 $34,910,606 $107.15
6 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit 3,346,125 24,578,565 $2,600,769,197 $105.81
432 92235 — 262,825 328,954 $34,644,217 $105.32
81 17110 Destruction of Benign Skin Lesions 1,707,337 2,225,357 $232,681,889 $104.56
483 99226 — Retired after Q4 2022 228,274 307,315 $32,008,611 $104.16
124 00142 Anesthesia for Lens Surgery 809,388 1,583,417 $164,203,194 $103.70
171 70551 Brain MRI Without Contrast 922,937 1,028,257 $106,169,005 $103.25
17 99203 New Patient Office Visit 7,696,180 9,443,980 $971,589,067 $102.88
1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit 24,977,726 88,750,316 $9,124,555,169 $102.81
146 99221 Initial Hospital Care, Level 1 1,096,364 1,470,466 $149,609,359 $101.74
484 00910 — 195,195 328,381 $33,019,438 $100.55
109 74176 Abdomen and Pelvis CT Without Contrast 1,587,337 2,017,307 $201,341,243 $99.81
379 99316 — 306,717 337,162 $33,368,831 $98.97
148 71275 Chest CT Angiography 1,098,046 1,263,604 $124,909,259 $98.85
548 96133 — 104,502 286,552 $28,247,574 $98.58
226 20611 Ultrasound-Guided Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 413,020 832,225 $81,868,497 $98.37
61 99443 Extended Phone Consultation Retired after Q4 2024 2,334,696 3,375,211 $328,992,593 $97.47
141 93970 Bilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,199,157 1,434,689 $135,976,305 $94.78
295 70496 Head CT Angiography 465,915 513,881 $48,682,209 $94.73
223 88307 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level V 527,331 905,524 $85,437,029 $94.35
356 76641 — 333,540 470,869 $44,338,083 $94.16
429 64494 — 258,818 397,924 $37,399,134 $93.99
547 70544 — 189,911 202,647 $18,782,453 $92.69
288 70498 Neck CT Angiography 488,771 535,039 $49,213,493 $91.98
479 99304 — 229,204 253,336 $23,271,009 $91.86
376 93923 — 311,508 369,044 $33,695,574 $91.31
366 90836 — 90,188 477,600 $43,409,227 $90.89
261 95886 Needle Electromyography Study 448,766 774,865 $70,261,526 $90.68
267 77066 Bilateral Diagnostic Mammography 547,764 575,778 $52,026,776 $90.36
47 92012 Established Patient Eye Examination, Intermediate 2,891,327 5,015,408 $452,671,975 $90.26
503 88173 — 212,470 308,909 $27,833,332 $90.10
507 70491 — 210,978 262,670 $23,201,077 $88.33
368 76830 — 325,582 373,571 $32,862,847 $87.97
338 00812 Anesthesia for Lower Gastrointestinal Screening Endoscopy 385,782 486,208 $42,687,589 $87.80
348 36556 — 349,963 422,618 $37,020,638 $87.60
168 97162 Detailed Physical Therapy Evaluation 938,815 1,052,324 $92,112,943 $87.53
155 97161 Physical Therapy Evaluation 1,052,177 1,188,031 $103,828,060 $87.40
499 97163 — 215,494 234,554 $20,448,463 $87.18
74 11102 Skin Biopsy, Initial Lesion 2,273,201 2,846,214 $247,414,272 $86.93
539 78306 — 193,820 228,048 $19,799,363 $86.82
128 11042 Subcutaneous Tissue Wound Debridement 462,129 1,879,615 $163,033,898 $86.74
23 99309 Extended Nursing Home Visit 1,652,173 9,882,931 $850,413,300 $86.05
530 64484 — 200,589 322,870 $27,186,236 $84.20
551 93224 — 186,725 198,393 $16,672,612 $84.04
413 77002 — 255,226 469,205 $39,054,820 $83.24
374 99348 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 2 202,705 522,469 $43,144,761 $82.58
111 99497 Advance Care Planning 1,618,539 1,918,514 $157,680,696 $82.19
59 90834 Standard Therapy Session 534,654 4,420,315 $359,988,326 $81.44
299 96401 Subcutaneous or Intramuscular Antineoplastic Injection Administration 136,521 750,702 $59,411,455 $79.14
377 76856 — 309,183 356,318 $27,955,422 $78.46
216 76700 Complete Abdominal Ultrasound 694,693 794,350 $62,000,433 $78.05
95 71250 Chest CT Without Contrast 1,729,654 2,192,458 $168,592,224 $76.90
255 90935 — 191,868 955,460 $71,282,664 $74.61
134 71260 Chest CT With Contrast 1,263,312 1,791,359 $133,564,729 $74.56
167 11056 Paring of Multiple Benign Foot Lesions 731,573 1,675,682 $123,228,856 $73.54
504 88331 — 212,231 382,791 $28,150,133 $73.54
117 99238 Hospital Discharge Visit 1,563,502 1,998,492 $146,137,702 $73.12
207 76536 Neck Soft-Tissue Ultrasound 735,112 836,206 $61,095,333 $73.06
4 99232 Daily Hospital Visit 3,995,847 39,674,662 $2,894,572,763 $72.96
312 97597 — 260,201 768,174 $55,866,034 $72.73
361 99225 — Retired after Q4 2022 329,541 509,728 $36,632,150 $71.87
165 99217 — Retired after Q4 2022 963,965 1,087,807 $78,161,398 $71.85
31 77067 Screening Mammogram 5,162,632 5,412,082 $388,270,000 $71.74
221 96365 Intravenous Therapeutic Infusion Administration 274,175 1,195,982 $85,584,301 $71.56
82 99202 New Patient Office Visit, Level 2 2,088,911 2,193,433 $156,438,727 $71.32
2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit 23,189,044 76,060,527 $5,387,507,824 $70.83
269 77065 Unilateral Diagnostic Mammography 545,911 665,995 $46,796,423 $70.27
388 87801 — 205,139 596,303 $41,494,763 $69.59
204 88312 Special Stain for Microorganisms 683,558 1,347,834 $93,439,191 $69.33
418 73700 — 271,930 311,692 $21,086,704 $67.65
208 90833 Psychotherapy With Evaluation and Management 356,263 1,360,960 $91,737,157 $67.41
198 93015 Complete Cardiovascular Stress Test 777,511 797,073 $53,221,086 $66.77
30 99308 Nursing Home Visit 1,654,258 10,700,463 $713,418,866 $66.67
43 99442 Phone Consultation Retired after Q4 2024 3,657,431 5,256,344 $349,749,553 $66.54
330 70486 — 405,937 440,930 $28,997,351 $65.76
119 99283 Emergency Department Visit, Level 3 1,534,663 1,984,015 $126,569,265 $63.79
64 20610 Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 2,388,913 4,646,505 $292,847,212 $63.03
452 88360 — 237,286 554,650 $34,913,504 $62.95
326 72131 Lumbar Spine CT Without Contrast 411,796 455,234 $28,585,155 $62.79
87 92083 Comprehensive Visual Field Examination 2,059,948 2,366,303 $147,675,558 $62.41
153 76770 Complete Retroperitoneal Ultrasound 1,056,079 1,219,597 $75,438,005 $61.85
143 80307 Presumptive Drug Screening 965,934 2,473,416 $151,316,491 $61.18
151 90832 Brief Therapy Session 427,821 2,261,234 $137,878,055 $60.97
332 11055 — 400,893 717,785 $43,539,971 $60.66
404 97164 — 284,075 443,032 $26,620,341 $60.09
127 88342 Immunohistochemistry Study, Initial Antibody 1,369,408 2,076,982 $123,709,232 $59.56
285 93922 — 489,789 593,087 $33,429,389 $56.37
354 98942 — 99,370 836,759 $44,812,638 $53.56
156 72125 Cervical Spine CT Without Contrast 1,023,588 1,191,154 $63,719,340 $53.49
144 93971 Unilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,170,529 1,484,953 $79,328,083 $53.42
264 76642 Limited Breast Ultrasound 549,016 667,331 $35,213,119 $52.77
514 64447 — 206,231 238,887 $12,350,500 $51.70
212 11103 Additional Skin Biopsy 721,060 1,263,197 $64,657,289 $51.19
21 88305 Biopsy Tissue Examination 6,570,652 16,846,538 $856,140,785 $50.82
342 87635 SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection 369,238 461,695 $23,352,642 $50.58
44 17000 Precancerous Skin Spot Removal 3,586,006 5,075,174 $255,995,165 $50.44
298 20550 — 459,291 722,624 $35,766,422 $49.50
440 20605 — 259,365 363,071 $17,617,498 $48.52
555 20552 — 183,973 285,028 $13,826,886 $48.51
293 36620 — 477,703 538,009 $24,721,275 $45.95
75 11721 Debridement of Multiple Nails 2,223,515 5,311,763 $242,921,441 $45.73
309 77300 — 255,999 1,261,817 $57,305,565 $45.42
461 20600 — 237,577 358,427 $16,255,270 $45.35
166 69210 Impacted Earwax Removal 961,174 1,236,560 $55,803,154 $45.13
53 70450 Head CT Without Contrast 3,233,599 4,844,019 $218,184,938 $45.04
176 92136 Ophthalmic Biometry for Intraocular Lens Planning 900,661 1,479,883 $66,363,613 $44.84
68 92250 Fundus Photography 2,538,279 2,983,277 $132,896,929 $44.55
229 94060 Bronchodilator Responsiveness Testing 636,703 719,667 $31,593,164 $43.90
211 99307 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 1 640,973 2,079,814 $89,785,168 $43.17
335 76775 — 399,551 449,593 $19,352,602 $43.04
459 99282 — 239,456 283,792 $12,092,774 $42.61
28 99212 Brief Follow-Up Office Visit 5,436,932 8,835,278 $374,244,516 $42.36
260 88112 Cytopathology Examination 557,606 832,074 $34,587,347 $41.57
189 76942 — 811,471 1,043,662 $43,163,457 $41.36
110 99490 Chronic Care Management 964,550 4,760,783 $196,794,120 $41.34
534 76882 — 195,261 252,723 $10,319,231 $40.83
55 92134 Retina Scan 2,980,862 6,542,650 $264,986,002 $40.50
42 98941 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation, Multiple Regions 1,243,768 11,584,052 $469,161,663 $40.50
263 88313 Special Histochemical Stain 552,860 1,368,113 $54,343,005 $39.72
186 76705 Limited Abdominal Ultrasound 833,369 972,053 $38,160,406 $39.26
97 99231 Subsequent Hospital Care, Level 1 1,507,125 5,657,296 $221,383,334 $39.13
257 83880 Natriuretic Peptide Test 565,419 834,749 $32,497,833 $38.93
179 92557 Comprehensive Hearing Assessment 886,558 954,460 $37,098,203 $38.87
103 99441 — Retired after Q4 2024 1,693,626 2,136,114 $81,593,665 $38.20
36 77063 3D Screening Mammogram 4,190,169 4,396,089 $167,197,629 $38.03
33 97530 Daily-Activity Therapy 1,150,598 17,001,335 $615,400,666 $36.20
85 92133 Optic Nerve Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography 2,085,729 2,332,366 $83,811,031 $35.93
206 94729 Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity Test 740,085 796,195 $28,502,393 $35.80
494 94727 — 221,004 234,541 $8,251,461 $35.18
381 87640 Staphylococcus aureus Molecular Detection 304,778 511,609 $17,850,428 $34.89
415 87150 — 72,509 1,115,838 $38,853,397 $34.82
545 87624 — 191,353 196,734 $6,850,108 $34.82
120 87798 Infectious-Agent Molecular Detection 501,525 5,174,716 $180,115,604 $34.81
501 87651 — 214,912 349,808 $12,171,511 $34.79
520 87486 — 204,070 343,174 $11,913,085 $34.71
517 87581 — 205,989 347,209 $12,045,607 $34.69
296 94726 Pulmonary Lung Volume Study 465,491 496,293 $16,729,511 $33.71
344 93308 — 357,865 441,200 $14,736,875 $33.40
201 11720 Debridement of Nails 757,054 1,664,644 $55,375,455 $33.27
451 74230 — 246,916 286,629 $9,239,407 $32.23
406 72050 — 283,913 316,355 $10,018,458 $31.67
419 97113 — 43,355 1,219,801 $38,582,994 $31.63
37 97112 Balance and Coordination Therapy 1,256,893 16,192,388 $506,855,808 $31.30
159 73564 Complete Knee Radiograph Study 989,028 1,334,736 $41,760,725 $31.29
232 72110 Multi-View Lumbar Spine Radiograph 632,140 707,856 $22,120,415 $31.25
420 96367 — 135,532 1,231,971 $38,371,772 $31.15
34 82306 Vitamin D Blood Test 4,366,622 5,801,733 $170,387,455 $29.37
297 97535 Self-Care and Home Management Training 371,284 2,035,345 $59,451,079 $29.21
242 92020 Gonioscopy 602,959 685,218 $19,732,670 $28.80
170 98940 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation 605,651 4,330,552 $123,177,281 $28.44
248 94010 Spirometry 587,433 740,591 $21,037,113 $28.41
492 82670 — 222,360 323,197 $8,945,413 $27.68
125 73562 Knee Radiograph 1,389,496 1,997,125 $54,538,367 $27.31
541 93228 — 193,440 198,638 $5,418,646 $27.28
427 93320 — 264,796 292,054 $7,811,799 $26.75
454 93227 — 245,112 258,629 $6,916,108 $26.74
386 92201 — 302,875 410,236 $10,953,485 $26.70
19 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises 2,369,643 48,667,429 $1,260,063,666 $25.89
94 73502 Hip and Pelvis Radiograph 1,738,109 2,414,132 $61,756,688 $25.58
218 84403 Total Testosterone Test 691,507 1,063,638 $27,165,571 $25.54
475 84402 — 230,249 319,953 $8,064,641 $25.21
470 77001 — 231,518 287,221 $7,225,149 $25.16
276 97116 Gait Training 250,388 2,665,678 $65,835,712 $24.70
237 73110 Wrist Radiograph 618,480 968,632 $23,087,623 $23.84
450 73140 — 250,264 338,786 $8,073,306 $23.83
131 72100 Lumbar Spine Radiograph 1,266,082 1,582,808 $37,449,649 $23.66
308 72040 — 447,222 560,871 $13,223,463 $23.58
375 88185 — 81,679 1,818,838 $42,817,407 $23.54
121 73630 Foot Radiograph 1,501,582 2,375,026 $55,599,601 $23.41
80 77080 Central Bone Density Study 2,112,992 2,202,300 $51,540,514 $23.40
35 97140 Hands-On Physical Therapy 1,740,700 22,940,899 $526,436,726 $22.95
200 93016 Cardiovascular Stress Test Supervision 765,550 782,417 $17,435,741 $22.28
513 83861 — 206,952 535,785 $11,931,989 $22.27
90 99211 Established Patient Office Visit, Level 1 1,766,431 3,292,363 $71,825,690 $21.82
195 73130 Hand Radiograph 785,193 1,122,706 $24,484,840 $21.81
96 73030 Shoulder Radiograph 1,725,949 2,450,578 $53,022,369 $21.64
210 73610 Ankle Radiograph 730,570 1,112,609 $23,992,013 $21.56
320 86334 Immunofixation Electrophoresis 430,764 764,541 $15,997,328 $20.92
372 73620 — 313,055 463,967 $9,707,135 $20.92
481 71101 — 228,966 255,274 $5,211,172 $20.41
417 92285 — 272,439 333,940 $6,814,086 $20.41
163 73560 Limited Knee Radiograph Study 981,921 1,428,840 $28,710,524 $20.09
225 88304 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level III 675,212 815,774 $16,144,293 $19.79
474 72070 — 230,252 269,865 $5,320,961 $19.72
471 82378 — 230,971 510,596 $9,590,790 $18.78
358 84154 — 333,390 407,123 $7,427,264 $18.24
79 84153 Prostate-Specific Antigen Test 2,129,906 3,053,875 $55,678,540 $18.23
532 73501 — 195,513 243,370 $4,352,767 $17.89
523 83090 — 203,878 257,629 $4,583,444 $17.79
477 86235 — 230,170 1,376,614 $24,356,692 $17.69
287 76937 — 489,069 639,213 $11,251,253 $17.60
22 93000 Heart Tracing 6,305,971 9,114,177 $158,210,619 $17.36
398 73080 — 286,040 359,323 $6,179,230 $17.20
428 83520 — 264,277 640,080 $10,952,505 $17.11
550 94640 — 186,978 234,517 $3,991,392 $17.02
301 92202 — 455,801 670,741 $11,352,914 $16.93
173 84481 Free Triiodothyronine Test 916,655 1,331,520 $22,355,592 $16.79
11 84443 Thyroid Blood Test 9,097,684 13,433,116 $224,049,845 $16.68
29 71046 Chest X-Ray, Two Views 5,188,610 7,336,595 $120,488,564 $16.42
365 87880 Streptococcus Antigen Test 326,556 358,954 $5,786,584 $16.12
270 87804 Influenza Antigen Test 539,549 1,035,130 $16,674,827 $16.11
231 92567 Tympanometry 635,435 705,165 $11,287,750 $16.01
485 86800 — 225,995 286,325 $4,517,134 $15.78
414 82274 — 274,064 294,353 $4,634,821 $15.75
350 73552 — 349,742 508,391 $7,916,466 $15.57
423 74019 — 266,831 341,452 $5,299,263 $15.52
172 93018 Cardiovascular Stress Test Interpretation 917,525 939,324 $14,104,269 $15.02
60 82607 Vitamin B12 Laboratory Test 2,848,155 3,731,342 $55,817,980 $14.96
466 73060 — 232,170 317,654 $4,748,817 $14.95
244 72170 Pelvis Radiograph 601,506 694,019 $10,191,493 $14.68
114 82746 Folate Laboratory Test 1,564,314 2,031,544 $29,637,194 $14.59
222 84165 Serum Protein Electrophoresis 678,676 1,146,953 $16,625,959 $14.50
373 86376 — 312,162 374,987 $5,409,750 $14.43
408 99406 — 282,872 437,530 $6,253,033 $14.29
315 88311 — 436,465 567,539 $8,024,840 $14.14
304 86803 — 452,058 496,059 $7,011,786 $14.13
202 95165 Allergen Immunotherapy Preparation 182,221 6,672,102 $94,194,479 $14.12
314 84480 — 440,758 609,779 $8,580,181 $14.07
359 73590 — 332,121 444,421 $6,111,943 $13.75
72 96372 Therapeutic Injection Administration 2,279,458 7,679,239 $105,382,607 $13.72
511 86225 — 207,989 253,752 $3,446,323 $13.58
107 82728 Ferritin Laboratory Test 1,670,294 2,751,613 $37,178,964 $13.51
506 90471 — 211,482 222,586 $2,986,725 $13.42
10 80061 Cholesterol Blood Panel 11,671,134 17,034,099 $226,167,241 $13.28
367 86141 — 325,833 429,640 $5,520,376 $12.85
438 86200 — 259,390 284,546 $3,644,539 $12.81
488 76376 — 224,659 256,332 $3,256,724 $12.71
543 84466 — 193,381 294,729 $3,722,326 $12.63
402 80305 — 284,463 609,408 $7,517,095 $12.34
253 86038 Antinuclear Antibody Test 572,784 653,687 $7,834,079 $11.98
147 74018 Abdominal Radiograph 1,156,547 2,051,724 $24,541,545 $11.96
347 76514 — 350,520 374,000 $4,309,939 $11.52
433 51741 — 260,809 327,183 $3,768,289 $11.52
497 97035 — 218,156 1,417,777 $16,261,456 $11.47
395 83516 — 289,142 601,086 $6,860,179 $11.41
435 11719 — 260,739 618,816 $6,700,764 $10.83
145 51798 Bladder Residual Urine Measurement 1,162,626 1,685,696 $17,662,061 $10.48
5 80053 Full Metabolic Blood Panel 13,354,836 26,182,143 $274,166,772 $10.47
294 83721 — 474,731 673,014 $7,002,955 $10.41
460 87340 — 238,314 259,287 $2,646,860 $10.21
24 71045 Chest X-Ray, One View 5,611,503 15,531,228 $151,453,077 $9.75
15 83036 Average Blood Sugar Test 7,706,578 13,268,421 $127,615,574 $9.62
538 93321 — 193,895 233,619 $2,115,703 $9.06
51 84439 Free T4 Thyroid Test 3,310,419 4,844,324 $43,336,583 $8.95
18 93010 Heart Tracing Reading 7,229,595 15,897,585 $137,807,391 $8.67
123 83550 Iron-Binding Capacity Test 1,412,997 2,241,818 $19,424,476 $8.66
283 80069 Renal Function Panel 503,188 959,935 $8,244,955 $8.59
122 87186 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing 1,413,360 2,552,962 $21,918,168 $8.59
306 87070 — 448,714 560,547 $4,791,347 $8.55
49 80048 Basic Metabolic Blood Panel 3,401,452 5,820,561 $48,790,602 $8.38
353 93005 — 335,395 382,239 $3,195,097 $8.36
188 80076 Hepatic Function Panel 821,862 1,293,820 $10,462,169 $8.09
129 87088 Urine Culture Identification 1,293,223 1,983,998 $15,927,664 $8.03
142 87077 Microorganism Identification From Culture 1,184,606 1,844,128 $14,780,012 $8.01
67 87086 Urine Culture 2,612,971 4,250,429 $34,035,844 $8.01
7 85025 Blood Cell Count With Differential 12,185,157 26,164,839 $201,439,532 $7.70
364 82977 — 327,408 521,470 $3,701,295 $7.10
362 83690 — 329,527 411,891 $2,809,587 $6.82
194 84436 Total Thyroxine Test 799,866 1,056,282 $7,201,563 $6.82
311 93325 Echocardiographic Color Flow Mapping 443,087 526,198 $3,532,655 $6.71
105 83735 Magnesium Laboratory Test 1,681,887 3,125,929 $20,748,134 $6.64
183 82550 Creatine Kinase Test 884,247 1,334,277 $8,602,415 $6.45
319 84479 — 432,991 571,335 $3,668,355 $6.42
397 82150 — 287,367 381,885 $2,450,722 $6.42
77 85027 Blood Cell Count 2,164,776 3,180,983 $20,404,428 $6.41
92 83540 Iron Laboratory Test 1,744,586 2,820,742 $18,086,765 $6.41
371 82044 — 316,584 397,427 $2,435,544 $6.13
234 83615 Lactate Dehydrogenase Test 630,874 1,467,937 $8,756,802 $5.97
412 85730 — 275,579 360,482 $2,149,909 $5.96
62 17003 Additional Premalignant Skin Lesion Destruction 2,687,392 16,341,353 $94,273,242 $5.77
65 82043 Urine Albumin Test 2,615,908 3,415,679 $19,537,713 $5.72
313 86431 — 442,908 526,450 $2,959,043 $5.62
203 84460 Alanine Aminotransferase Test 745,251 1,949,021 $10,170,011 $5.22
58 82570 Urine Creatinine Test 2,933,331 4,291,991 $22,026,981 $5.13
135 86140 C-Reactive Protein Test 1,254,594 2,150,747 $11,036,819 $5.13
254 84450 — 567,236 853,783 $4,307,353 $5.05
177 82565 Blood Creatinine Test 889,819 1,332,694 $6,664,878 $5.00
390 84075 — 293,201 408,664 $2,026,484 $4.96
220 82248 Direct Bilirubin Test 688,550 1,033,467 $5,087,841 $4.92
436 96127 — 260,726 436,801 $2,145,863 $4.91
337 82310 — 387,442 575,887 $2,802,428 $4.87
430 82247 — 263,947 434,550 $2,096,306 $4.82
352 82040 — 337,989 503,543 $2,403,360 $4.77
410 84132 — 276,653 405,281 $1,902,489 $4.69
184 84100 Phosphorus Laboratory Test 862,768 1,714,438 $8,031,905 $4.68
519 84295 — 204,881 299,573 $1,367,446 $4.56
99 84550 Uric Acid Laboratory Test 1,704,174 2,748,005 $12,299,296 $4.48
527 82270 — 203,421 203,686 $882,335 $4.33
476 95004 — 139,790 7,780,230 $33,408,862 $4.29
157 85610 Prothrombin Time Test 1,008,933 6,317,839 $26,830,482 $4.25
552 86592 — 185,721 212,956 $902,078 $4.24
525 87205 — 203,545 260,597 $1,102,427 $4.23
331 85651 — 402,756 641,116 $2,707,459 $4.22
250 81000 — 580,640 935,578 $3,713,225 $3.97
490 85045 — 223,776 312,249 $1,235,359 $3.96
259 82947 — 565,181 1,035,052 $4,014,764 $3.88
317 84520 — 433,241 622,198 $2,395,573 $3.85
246 84156 Urine Protein Test 594,535 1,030,159 $3,745,570 $3.64
325 84155 — 420,328 569,794 $2,025,543 $3.55
100 81002 Manual Urinalysis 1,702,269 2,498,682 $8,585,809 $3.44
291 82962 — 483,470 1,001,658 $3,231,533 $3.23
39 81001 Urine Test With Microscope Exam 3,989,976 6,125,254 $19,246,052 $3.14
3 36415 Blood Draw 15,965,174 41,380,550 $123,040,329 $2.97
136 85652 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Test 1,244,371 1,996,683 $5,343,758 $2.68
464 85018 — 234,760 396,097 $927,137 $2.34
46 81003 Automated Urinalysis 3,460,542 5,361,713 $11,923,708 $2.22

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 7,870 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2020, 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 54.6% of the $74.6B these 500 codes account for.

  1. 1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit $9.1B
  2. 2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit $5.4B
  3. 3 99232 Daily Hospital Visit $2.9B
  4. 4 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit $2.6B
  5. 5 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit $1.9B
  6. 6 66984 Cataract Surgery $1.7B
  7. 7 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency $1.6B
  8. 8 99291 Critical Care $1.4B
  9. 9 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit $1.4B
  10. 10 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient $1.3B

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

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

Many patients, little money
81003 Automated Urinalysis
By beneficiaries
#29
By allowed dollars
#402
Per service
$2.22
Few patients, lots of money
63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement
By beneficiaries
#476
By allowed dollars
#44
Per service
$6,503.85

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

These are CY2020 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 CY2020 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 7,870 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2020; this table shows the top 500 we cover.

Source: CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners—by Geography and Service, national rows, CY2020. 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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