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

Medicare's 500 most-billed CPT codes of 2021

In CY2021 Medicare paid $83.0B across these 500 CPT codes. 99214 (Long Follow-Up Office Visit) leads every measure: 25.3M beneficiaries and $12.0B allowed. Below the top few the rankings split apart. The codes that reach the most patients are rarely the ones that move the most money.

Allowed
$83.0B
Total Medicare allowed dollars
Services
1.2B
Times these codes were billed
Top 25
56.6%
Share of the allowed dollars
Vintage
CY2021
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
451 37231 — Retired after Q4 2025 2,631 3,111 $38,578,540 $12,400.69
104 37227 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Stent Retired after Q4 2025 17,305 21,076 $210,339,593 $9,980.05
66 37229 Leg Artery Plaque Removal Retired after Q4 2025 27,616 38,847 $314,096,780 $8,085.48
70 63685 Spinal Cord Stimulator Battery Placement 26,206 43,936 $297,253,121 $6,765.59
95 37225 Leg Artery Plaque Removal With Balloon Widening Retired after Q4 2025 32,172 41,240 $228,643,498 $5,544.22
219 64590 Peripheral Nerve Stimulator Battery Placement 15,325 20,484 $93,518,365 $4,565.43
362 36906 — 8,702 11,713 $49,040,440 $4,186.84
327 36903 — 13,780 17,581 $57,017,311 $3,243.12
341 22514 — 20,917 22,958 $53,510,804 $2,330.81
374 22513 — 18,159 20,630 $47,811,319 $2,317.56
432 64561 Sacral Nerve Stimulation Electrode Placement 10,245 17,819 $40,702,778 $2,284.23
236 36482 Adhesive Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 24,658 45,708 $87,292,584 $1,909.79
336 36905 — 19,519 32,625 $54,576,538 $1,672.84
562 55874 — 17,779 17,882 $29,541,786 $1,652.04
239 36465 Foam Sclerotherapy of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 28,619 55,054 $86,034,423 $1,562.73
348 33249 — 32,774 33,692 $51,902,317 $1,540.49
292 65778 Ocular Surface Amniotic Membrane Placement 25,263 43,923 $65,301,578 $1,486.73
560 37226 — Retired after Q4 2025 18,388 20,218 $29,748,875 $1,471.41
409 25609 — 18,604 29,961 $43,738,544 $1,459.85
338 67042 — 24,652 41,527 $54,117,882 $1,303.20
272 22551 Anterior Cervical Spine Fusion 32,633 54,568 $71,090,899 $1,302.79
529 67108 — 15,151 25,380 $32,622,160 $1,285.35
115 78492 Cardiac PET Scan, Multiple Studies 135,770 148,785 $190,321,302 $1,279.17
190 36475 Radiofrequency Treatment of an Incompetent Extremity Vein 48,480 87,333 $108,982,682 $1,247.90
458 37228 — Retired after Q4 2025 26,636 31,140 $37,747,629 $1,212.19
285 22633 — 34,142 56,672 $68,442,028 $1,207.69
41 27447 Knee Replacement 256,757 468,498 $557,061,349 $1,189.04
233 33533 Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting 47,518 77,111 $89,236,038 $1,157.24
420 77373 — 7,608 36,447 $42,048,217 $1,153.68
274 93656 Atrial Fibrillation Catheter Ablation 59,976 61,730 $70,496,479 $1,142.01
167 29827 Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair 61,120 119,640 $134,727,698 $1,126.11
467 66174 — 12,455 33,500 $37,252,839 $1,112.03
67 27130 Total Hip Arthroplasty 157,162 278,817 $309,642,418 $1,110.56
260 77523 — 2,925 70,896 $77,407,270 $1,091.84
533 67036 — 17,059 29,435 $31,984,490 $1,086.61
472 36478 — 20,439 34,865 $36,695,491 $1,052.50
208 27245 Surgical Fixation of a Proximal Femur Fracture 75,917 100,025 $100,257,084 $1,002.32
130 36902 Dialysis Circuit Endovascular Treatment 92,673 175,168 $173,672,640 $991.46
207 23472 Total Shoulder Arthroplasty 62,471 102,711 $100,678,059 $980.21
343 15260 — 49,552 57,648 $53,505,427 $928.14
280 27236 — 54,385 76,466 $70,016,642 $915.66
154 77301 Intensity-Modulated Radiation Treatment Planning 141,875 158,855 $144,704,715 $910.92
543 35301 — 24,716 34,562 $30,622,470 $886.02
534 29828 — 19,090 36,238 $31,958,527 $881.91
79 93229 Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Analysis 298,792 320,441 $278,801,542 $870.06
478 52601 — 40,298 43,346 $36,244,304 $836.16
279 33361 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement 48,142 90,345 $70,123,663 $776.18
486 29880 — 30,844 48,313 $35,672,509 $738.36
470 67904 — 23,016 51,765 $36,895,932 $712.76
461 50590 — 38,617 53,432 $37,472,119 $701.30
408 29881 — 41,030 62,591 $43,772,129 $699.34
481 00567 — 41,169 51,608 $35,877,949 $695.20
300 33208 — 91,753 94,116 $64,231,980 $682.48
399 19301 — 55,533 68,462 $44,630,109 $651.90
221 63047 Lumbar Spine Decompression Surgery 85,947 143,678 $93,056,947 $647.68
303 47562 — 81,792 100,985 $62,396,975 $617.88
53 78815 PET/CT Scan, Skull Base to Thigh 465,885 664,345 $409,417,307 $616.27
225 17313 Mohs Surgery on Trunk or Extremities, First Stage 125,921 159,602 $91,407,355 $572.72
49 17311 Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery, First Stage 627,635 824,844 $471,073,161 $571.11
365 78816 Whole-Body PET/CT Imaging 62,183 85,122 $48,552,658 $570.39
180 92928 Coronary Artery Stent Procedure 168,257 207,993 $114,328,451 $549.67
512 49650 — 47,726 63,796 $34,078,232 $534.18
412 22842 — 51,576 83,291 $43,527,206 $522.59
548 22840 — 36,822 59,587 $30,407,937 $510.31
263 64721 Open Carpal Tunnel Release 92,152 147,821 $74,824,415 $506.18
136 64635 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Nerve Ablation 189,408 367,445 $165,584,727 $450.64
366 52442 — 26,571 107,300 $48,266,396 $449.83
398 64633 — 53,005 101,221 $45,167,024 $446.22
203 00670 Anesthesia for Spine Surgery 156,883 237,280 $101,358,624 $427.17
525 00560 — 59,535 77,245 $32,844,015 $425.19
531 28285 — 33,957 77,132 $32,535,192 $421.81
355 36561 — 116,219 123,592 $50,547,258 $408.98
113 17312 Mohs Surgery, Additional Stage 305,770 483,747 $196,642,752 $406.50
547 93460 — 79,118 80,580 $30,467,484 $378.10
37 90960 Monthly Dialysis Care, Frequent Visits 245,736 1,685,021 $614,835,794 $364.88
346 26055 — 75,232 146,310 $52,223,038 $356.93
111 66982 Complex Cataract Surgery With Lens Implant 131,273 575,380 $198,564,020 $345.10
47 45385 Colonoscopy With Polyp Removal 931,462 1,377,652 $471,376,733 $342.16
276 95811 — 188,346 215,256 $70,260,749 $326.41
318 13121 — 161,544 190,434 $59,798,418 $314.01
335 77338 — 140,466 176,793 $54,657,438 $309.16
312 95810 — 180,192 197,362 $60,619,013 $307.15
501 19083 — 110,070 113,831 $34,554,030 $303.56
134 90961 Monthly Dialysis Care, Fewer Visits 188,301 561,285 $167,565,915 $298.54
197 90966 Monthly Home Dialysis Services 53,524 351,025 $104,729,636 $298.35
417 00537 — 93,710 141,685 $42,196,564 $297.82
514 36558 — 97,845 115,080 $34,076,911 $296.11
262 13132 Complex Skin Wound Repair 227,085 264,997 $76,857,284 $290.03
489 77295 — 109,585 124,388 $35,632,480 $286.46
395 55700 — Retired after Q4 2025 138,805 163,271 $45,347,732 $277.75
423 43249 — 102,137 150,124 $41,550,456 $276.77
178 93458 Coronary Angiography and Left Heart Catheterization 401,515 422,027 $115,523,758 $273.74
538 11044 — 45,386 115,526 $31,118,041 $269.36
58 78452 Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 1,426,034 1,479,390 $390,441,466 $263.92
309 01214 — 162,357 235,803 $61,442,661 $260.57
250 12032 Intermediate Skin Wound Repair 279,571 314,415 $81,825,811 $260.25
141 99496 Transitional Care After Discharge, Prompt Contact 531,693 614,006 $159,686,682 $260.07
198 00790 Anesthesia for Upper Abdominal Surgery 273,249 405,976 $103,685,081 $255.40
88 64483 Lumbar or Sacral Transforaminal Epidural Injection 465,451 998,200 $250,613,508 $251.07
205 01402 Anesthesia for Knee Arthroplasty 275,770 412,203 $100,811,534 $244.57
65 45380 Colonoscopy With Tissue Sampling 954,849 1,384,501 $323,947,432 $233.98
298 00840 — 189,347 276,718 $64,256,977 $232.21
357 64490 — 99,333 217,644 $50,305,772 $231.14
241 45378 Diagnostic Colonoscopy 302,029 383,846 $86,006,256 $224.06
147 64493 Lumbar or Sacral Facet Joint Injection 300,300 657,100 $146,803,205 $223.41
483 65855 — 89,872 161,249 $35,846,840 $222.31
7 66984 Cataract Surgery 1,116,308 8,957,671 $1,990,420,515 $222.20
19 99291 Critical Care 1,799,698 6,124,185 $1,359,264,890 $221.95
485 95819 — 148,678 163,329 $35,833,061 $219.39
506 95911 — 151,969 157,680 $34,238,182 $217.14
434 77290 — 150,005 186,466 $40,322,894 $216.25
39 99205 Longest New Patient Office Visit 2,517,870 2,874,700 $614,242,295 $213.67
257 77280 Radiation Treatment Simulation 119,244 374,272 $79,315,494 $211.92
523 01230 — 108,558 155,205 $32,855,808 $211.69
330 72197 Pelvic MRI With and Without Contrast 233,983 265,444 $55,714,762 $209.89
349 62321 — 133,028 247,573 $51,694,875 $208.81
503 90962 — 73,161 167,870 $34,398,355 $204.91
182 11043 Muscle and Fascia Wound Debridement 134,671 554,409 $112,081,002 $202.16
126 52000 Diagnostic Cystoscopy 671,819 880,672 $177,573,199 $201.63
13 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit 3,711,248 9,223,414 $1,846,567,710 $200.20
537 88377 — 58,465 156,990 $31,204,628 $198.77
557 00320 — 97,149 149,974 $29,805,623 $198.74
145 62323 Lumbar or Sacral Epidural Injection 397,277 744,376 $147,643,741 $198.35
256 74183 Abdominal MRI With and Without Contrast 334,821 404,552 $79,481,423 $196.47
469 93351 — 186,417 190,444 $36,923,420 $193.88
123 77427 Radiation Treatment Management 229,607 939,991 $181,382,607 $192.96
200 74178 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With and Without Contrast 463,910 537,326 $102,405,759 $190.58
176 99495 Transitional Care After Discharge 562,109 625,395 $119,127,118 $190.48
192 31231 Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy 396,467 565,040 $107,225,041 $189.77
81 66821 Laser Treatment of the Posterior Lens Capsule 490,106 1,364,008 $257,421,424 $188.72
174 93925 Bilateral Lower-Extremity Arterial Duplex Study 544,395 651,671 $119,635,797 $183.58
94 99220 — Retired after Q4 2022 1,083,428 1,283,871 $230,136,480 $179.25
15 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency 5,631,413 9,200,272 $1,648,406,729 $179.17
228 90792 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation With Medical Services 450,696 518,792 $90,501,069 $174.45
448 90868 — 7,954 224,796 $38,961,970 $173.32
132 70553 Brain MRI With and Without Contrast 802,634 996,456 $170,620,203 $171.23
12 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit 5,937,739 10,896,507 $1,854,031,412 $170.15
443 72158 — 202,288 232,238 $39,507,617 $170.12
368 77263 — 262,429 283,646 $48,200,786 $169.93
112 99306 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 3 866,247 1,182,905 $197,376,507 $166.86
71 43239 Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy With Tissue Sampling 1,195,212 1,746,756 $291,436,824 $166.84
441 95816 Electroencephalography Study 214,392 237,507 $39,581,595 $166.65
507 00300 — 134,415 205,721 $34,182,729 $166.16
497 93975 — 183,945 212,535 $35,035,589 $164.85
252 99350 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 4 164,230 494,806 $81,144,436 $163.99
168 17004 Destruction of Multiple Premalignant Skin Lesions 553,241 821,009 $134,528,569 $163.86
10 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit 9,109,140 11,932,791 $1,943,604,414 $162.88
428 01922 — 166,649 259,840 $41,188,190 $158.51
184 90791 Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluation 636,387 712,066 $110,901,428 $155.75
414 17262 — 222,774 283,359 $43,268,709 $152.70
72 92004 New Patient Eye Examination, Comprehensive 1,866,597 1,941,061 $290,217,690 $149.51
449 93978 — 227,154 259,795 $38,777,729 $149.26
391 27096 — 219,433 306,189 $45,550,390 $148.77
90 96413 Intravenous Antineoplastic Infusion Administration 239,411 1,689,792 $246,861,057 $146.09
307 68761 Lacrimal Punctum Closure 178,656 422,453 $61,576,860 $145.76
459 31500 — 230,166 260,208 $37,549,093 $144.30
407 43235 — 247,870 307,286 $44,015,577 $143.24
452 01480 — 170,076 271,369 $38,381,202 $141.44
216 73721 Lower-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 556,227 692,186 $96,234,873 $139.03
282 73221 Upper-Extremity Joint MRI Without Contrast 407,370 499,643 $69,461,707 $139.02
29 99222 Hospital Admission Visit 2,660,529 5,121,147 $695,505,461 $135.81
553 11602 — 191,705 224,302 $30,042,714 $133.94
237 00813 Anesthesia for Combined Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 505,896 651,146 $86,348,582 $132.61
317 99219 — Retired after Q4 2022 416,075 454,172 $59,866,919 $131.82
426 01936 — Retired after Q4 2021 170,028 316,589 $41,358,278 $130.64
189 99305 Initial Nursing Facility Care, Level 2 655,215 852,876 $110,110,893 $129.11
122 72148 Lumbar Spine MRI Without Contrast 1,234,644 1,416,914 $182,177,892 $128.57
92 93880 Carotid Artery Duplex Study 1,689,833 1,857,479 $238,155,926 $128.21
28 90837 Extended Therapy Session 486,397 6,036,882 $769,967,259 $127.54
18 92014 Full Eye Exam, Returning Patient 7,849,451 9,704,013 $1,237,170,993 $127.49
103 99310 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 4 597,314 1,717,253 $212,763,626 $123.90
1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit 25,344,649 97,520,328 $11,978,060,752 $122.83
51 67028 Intravitreal Medication Injection 656,756 3,449,808 $423,604,328 $122.79
455 00400 — 194,976 312,509 $37,858,549 $121.14
44 99284 Emergency Visit, High Urgency 3,010,150 4,022,722 $486,941,768 $121.05
387 64636 — 177,675 378,025 $45,612,365 $120.66
164 99349 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 3 298,248 1,140,992 $136,904,347 $119.99
23 93306 Heart Ultrasound 5,952,942 6,836,435 $819,675,278 $119.90
85 99443 Extended Phone Consultation Retired after Q4 2024 1,383,605 2,130,533 $254,520,201 $119.46
271 72141 Cervical Spine MRI Without Contrast 539,495 606,249 $72,343,712 $119.33
433 92235 — 268,252 338,900 $40,426,438 $119.29
450 10060 — 261,679 298,094 $35,388,284 $118.72
295 31575 — 427,692 546,566 $64,606,842 $118.21
527 01992 — 141,330 278,765 $32,823,099 $117.74
56 74177 Abdomen and Pelvis CT With Contrast 2,509,907 3,437,874 $403,537,398 $117.38
397 11104 — 306,965 330,333 $38,054,178 $115.20
462 11730 — 237,243 326,649 $37,400,606 $114.50
138 00731 Anesthesia for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 924,431 1,433,978 $160,624,570 $112.01
445 93312 — 263,365 310,451 $34,282,084 $110.43
315 99292 — 261,320 544,832 $59,920,850 $109.98
14 99203 New Patient Office Visit 8,097,658 10,013,803 $1,080,462,481 $107.90
511 99183 — 12,840 316,553 $34,093,600 $107.70
157 00811 Anesthesia for Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 1,031,067 1,335,306 $142,669,287 $106.84
544 72146 — 207,632 233,160 $24,904,967 $106.81
77 17110 Destruction of Benign Skin Lesions 1,987,531 2,645,161 $281,208,287 $106.31
46 99239 Extended Hospital Discharge Visit 3,067,079 4,530,094 $478,678,675 $105.67
6 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit 3,315,391 25,412,366 $2,634,498,730 $103.67
211 20611 Ultrasound-Guided Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 467,421 947,470 $98,070,593 $103.51
460 99226 — Retired after Q4 2022 256,858 359,222 $36,583,974 $101.84
120 00142 Anesthesia for Lens Surgery 938,199 1,853,878 $188,759,773 $101.82
142 97161 Physical Therapy Evaluation 1,281,553 1,456,942 $148,312,130 $101.80
158 97162 Detailed Physical Therapy Evaluation 1,136,253 1,277,769 $129,792,349 $101.58
170 70551 Brain MRI Without Contrast 1,000,573 1,116,424 $113,402,185 $101.58
476 97163 — 251,062 272,867 $27,671,466 $101.41
161 99221 Initial Hospital Care, Level 1 1,037,464 1,394,798 $139,111,996 $99.74
521 96133 — 117,491 332,193 $33,091,885 $99.62
109 74176 Abdomen and Pelvis CT Without Contrast 1,618,629 2,063,989 $201,851,261 $97.80
518 00910 — 202,981 340,127 $33,222,069 $97.68
383 99316 — 320,602 353,273 $34,460,399 $97.55
436 64494 — 268,269 414,404 $40,081,097 $96.72
137 93970 Bilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,315,054 1,582,625 $152,453,928 $96.33
143 71275 Chest CT Angiography 1,278,618 1,492,818 $142,560,304 $95.50
255 95886 Needle Electromyography Study 489,245 845,333 $80,606,916 $95.36
350 76641 — 382,800 533,100 $50,779,460 $95.25
394 93923 — 311,934 370,570 $34,356,573 $92.71
60 92012 Established Patient Eye Examination, Intermediate 2,444,284 4,186,889 $387,115,030 $92.46
242 88307 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level V 539,262 933,515 $85,683,975 $91.79
278 70496 Head CT Angiography 546,086 606,102 $55,594,230 $91.72
361 77002 — 286,091 546,872 $49,478,586 $90.48
468 99304 — 255,349 285,561 $25,823,678 $90.43
356 76830 — 353,333 408,150 $36,772,695 $90.10
73 11102 Skin Biopsy, Initial Lesion 2,500,281 3,164,738 $285,035,244 $90.07
61 90834 Standard Therapy Session 476,680 4,150,371 $371,826,422 $89.59
439 90836 — 82,389 448,021 $39,959,134 $89.19
270 70498 Neck CT Angiography 570,437 628,491 $55,691,239 $88.61
515 70491 — 224,928 279,858 $24,783,126 $88.56
128 11042 Subcutaneous Tissue Wound Debridement 471,742 1,983,072 $175,482,914 $88.49
532 64484 — 214,866 338,925 $29,966,197 $88.42
516 88173 — 224,241 330,091 $29,170,359 $88.37
275 77066 Bilateral Diagnostic Mammography 549,830 580,441 $51,283,079 $88.35
2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit 22,887,157 75,821,721 $6,576,266,392 $86.73
291 00812 Anesthesia for Lower Gastrointestinal Screening Endoscopy 501,323 628,788 $54,158,642 $86.13
378 36556 — 324,553 388,157 $33,064,276 $85.18
25 99309 Extended Nursing Home Visit 1,594,140 9,866,536 $840,432,443 $85.18
87 99442 Phone Consultation Retired after Q4 2024 1,993,141 2,977,529 $251,145,090 $84.35
559 78306 — 194,721 230,061 $19,310,894 $83.94
314 96401 Subcutaneous or Intramuscular Antineoplastic Injection Administration 135,552 733,739 $60,207,747 $82.06
405 99348 Established Patient Home or Residence Visit, Level 2 203,581 541,867 $44,315,500 $81.78
364 76856 — 336,266 392,445 $31,687,391 $80.74
101 99497 Advance Care Planning 1,737,910 2,058,123 $165,943,023 $80.63
150 11056 Paring of Multiple Benign Foot Lesions 733,424 1,807,526 $145,665,378 $80.59
222 76700 Complete Abdominal Ultrasound 726,355 833,218 $65,821,143 $79.00
375 71271 — 326,725 344,064 $26,235,486 $76.25
508 92507 — 34,914 448,939 $34,142,952 $76.05
329 97597 — 252,533 745,720 $55,999,095 $75.09
194 88312 Special Stain for Microorganisms 729,442 1,444,658 $107,129,721 $74.16
196 76536 Neck Soft-Tissue Ultrasound 817,361 935,186 $69,244,964 $74.04
322 90935 — 161,687 796,302 $58,374,786 $73.31
213 96365 Intravenous Therapeutic Infusion Administration 305,195 1,336,145 $97,722,003 $73.14
546 88331 — 205,501 370,623 $27,059,695 $73.01
4 99232 Daily Hospital Visit 3,789,113 37,215,027 $2,669,892,525 $71.74
127 99238 Hospital Discharge Visit 1,413,958 1,778,858 $127,270,905 $71.55
97 71250 Chest CT Without Contrast 1,769,318 2,257,052 $160,053,250 $70.91
175 99217 — Retired after Q4 2022 934,503 1,048,600 $74,115,741 $70.68
117 99283 Emergency Department Visit, Level 3 1,537,243 1,962,482 $138,641,881 $70.65
370 99225 — Retired after Q4 2022 328,309 519,697 $36,426,415 $70.09
27 77067 Screening Mammogram 5,752,620 6,051,811 $423,514,524 $69.98
382 87801 — 210,765 668,373 $46,559,010 $69.66
388 97164 — 314,452 503,901 $35,018,653 $69.50
110 99202 New Patient Office Visit, Level 2 1,621,164 1,683,569 $116,095,625 $68.96
264 77065 Unilateral Diagnostic Mammography 596,214 741,547 $50,410,599 $67.98
339 11055 — 405,589 774,456 $52,481,678 $67.77
140 71260 Chest CT With Contrast 1,301,973 1,849,987 $125,106,710 $67.63
195 93015 Complete Cardiovascular Stress Test 830,301 851,352 $57,112,940 $67.08
152 90832 Brief Therapy Session 386,090 2,183,758 $145,597,187 $66.67
31 99308 Nursing Home Visit 1,550,824 10,209,627 $677,436,378 $66.35
230 90833 Psychotherapy With Evaluation and Management 339,454 1,364,192 $89,967,109 $65.95
63 20610 Major Joint Injection or Aspiration 2,528,663 4,996,951 $325,715,460 $65.18
305 99454 Remote Physiologic Monitoring Device Supply 181,082 959,345 $62,367,517 $65.01
328 70486 — 429,649 466,492 $30,306,160 $64.97
400 73700 — 303,870 348,821 $22,534,025 $64.60
76 92083 Comprehensive Visual Field Examination 2,309,306 2,703,658 $169,698,387 $62.77
159 76770 Complete Retroperitoneal Ultrasound 1,116,646 1,299,410 $81,053,680 $62.38
541 86480 — 209,156 221,042 $13,652,027 $61.76
149 80307 Presumptive Drug Screening 917,248 2,380,998 $146,669,429 $61.60
447 88360 — 262,618 625,396 $38,272,716 $61.20
319 72131 Lumbar Spine CT Without Contrast 452,259 500,427 $29,857,229 $59.66
121 88342 Immunohistochemistry Study, Initial Antibody 1,505,392 2,345,667 $139,376,391 $59.42
290 93922 — 508,764 621,881 $35,216,702 $56.63
146 93971 Unilateral Extremity Venous Duplex Study 1,260,268 1,613,776 $88,463,603 $54.82
360 98942 — 103,450 939,102 $49,746,958 $52.97
266 76642 Limited Breast Ultrasound 593,238 721,907 $38,222,569 $52.95
26 99212 Brief Follow-Up Office Visit 5,874,703 9,445,828 $499,353,610 $52.86
371 99457 Remote Physiologic Monitoring Management 189,816 929,420 $48,047,643 $51.70
160 72125 Cervical Spine CT Without Contrast 1,109,391 1,302,084 $66,917,199 $51.39
231 87635 SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection 694,634 884,590 $45,198,325 $51.10
206 11103 Additional Skin Biopsy 791,568 1,387,434 $70,879,814 $51.09
21 88305 Biopsy Tissue Examination 7,117,669 18,464,904 $940,253,610 $50.92
40 17000 Precancerous Skin Spot Removal 3,860,382 5,622,387 $285,409,736 $50.76
488 64447 — 242,928 279,964 $14,209,403 $50.75
299 20550 — 492,136 780,892 $39,558,009 $50.66
442 20605 — 266,268 374,146 $18,733,939 $50.07
185 99441 — Retired after Q4 2024 880,823 1,161,563 $57,064,619 $49.13
457 20600 — 257,984 393,692 $18,326,119 $46.55
302 36620 — 488,528 549,249 $24,751,481 $45.06
83 11721 Debridement of Multiple Nails 2,148,870 5,698,240 $255,652,994 $44.87
162 69210 Impacted Earwax Removal 1,081,715 1,423,753 $63,560,186 $44.64
340 77300 — 261,168 1,216,572 $53,750,894 $44.18
52 70450 Head CT Without Contrast 3,324,590 5,014,709 $218,882,950 $43.65
334 76775 — 416,894 472,823 $20,520,678 $43.40
245 99307 Subsequent Nursing Facility Care, Level 1 600,276 1,920,893 $82,841,944 $43.13
259 88313 Special Histochemical Stain 605,941 1,529,684 $65,617,716 $42.90
487 99282 — 245,305 286,881 $12,014,024 $41.88
510 87811 Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Test 225,499 287,108 $11,742,904 $40.90
269 88112 Cytopathology Examination 572,919 859,273 $35,074,103 $40.82
186 76942 — 880,395 1,126,070 $45,900,154 $40.76
50 92134 Retina Scan 3,347,070 7,443,630 $302,794,297 $40.68
163 92136 Ophthalmic Biometry for Intraocular Lens Planning 1,076,672 1,779,205 $72,366,541 $40.67
125 99490 Chronic Care Management 886,895 4,476,813 $181,035,221 $40.44
513 76882 — 225,058 290,578 $11,651,089 $40.10
42 98941 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation, Multiple Regions 1,299,804 12,779,547 $508,323,056 $39.78
165 92557 Comprehensive Hearing Assessment 1,067,782 1,145,329 $45,084,963 $39.36
179 76705 Limited Abdominal Ultrasound 886,914 1,036,220 $40,757,015 $39.33
268 83880 Natriuretic Peptide Test 589,890 865,023 $33,877,142 $39.16
62 92250 Fundus Photography 2,852,757 3,356,228 $130,791,509 $38.97
116 99231 Subsequent Hospital Care, Level 1 1,374,811 5,009,819 $188,979,702 $37.72
32 77063 3D Screening Mammogram 5,013,185 5,279,199 $198,619,990 $37.62
193 94729 Pulmonary Diffusing Capacity Test 852,447 924,886 $34,619,327 $37.43
74 92133 Optic Nerve Imaging by Optical Coherence Tomography 2,342,050 2,667,742 $95,554,814 $35.82
24 97530 Daily-Activity Therapy 1,467,188 23,942,717 $853,000,668 $35.63
466 94727 — 255,601 272,313 $9,690,127 $35.58
524 92025 — 218,275 255,324 $9,027,735 $35.36
422 87150 — 76,731 1,192,595 $41,793,163 $35.04
390 87640 Staphylococcus aureus Molecular Detection 314,353 511,897 $17,937,593 $35.04
107 87798 Infectious-Agent Molecular Detection 454,322 5,985,470 $209,654,039 $35.03
530 87500 — 216,725 332,704 $11,646,231 $35.00
500 87624 — 230,873 238,266 $8,338,151 $35.00
552 87651 — 202,037 310,385 $10,852,153 $34.96
549 95251 — 204,399 440,802 $15,168,523 $34.41
281 94726 Pulmonary Lung Volume Study 539,549 576,876 $19,671,372 $34.10
210 11720 Debridement of Nails 766,106 1,879,960 $63,444,804 $33.75
234 94060 Bronchodilator Responsiveness Testing 688,201 774,649 $26,100,521 $33.69
381 72050 — 320,725 358,464 $11,938,231 $33.30
153 73564 Complete Knee Radiograph Study 1,178,428 1,610,328 $53,597,198 $33.28
226 72110 Multi-View Lumbar Spine Radiograph 720,956 809,529 $26,792,021 $33.10
453 74230 — 261,143 301,549 $9,851,692 $32.67
342 93308 — 398,817 493,166 $16,064,239 $32.57
475 96367 — 127,815 1,145,812 $36,671,041 $32.00
379 97113 — 48,160 1,526,844 $47,241,044 $30.94
33 97112 Balance and Coordination Therapy 1,548,700 21,724,110 $666,416,166 $30.68
36 82306 Vitamin D Blood Test 4,764,939 6,460,399 $190,852,163 $29.54
238 92020 Gonioscopy 668,740 766,833 $22,378,398 $29.18
265 97535 Self-Care and Home Management Training 454,632 2,628,412 $74,506,042 $28.35
114 73562 Knee Radiograph 1,545,180 2,244,980 $63,315,205 $28.20
173 98940 Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation 609,085 4,516,164 $126,698,538 $28.05
496 82670 — 235,089 364,301 $10,148,223 $27.86
91 73502 Hip and Pelvis Radiograph 1,860,966 2,583,712 $69,088,371 $26.74
373 92201 — 327,659 461,224 $12,208,425 $26.47
418 93320 — 288,017 319,184 $8,438,480 $26.44
528 93228 — 217,081 222,546 $5,827,222 $26.18
224 84403 Total Testosterone Test 724,114 1,176,931 $30,265,473 $25.72
484 84402 — 246,056 376,546 $9,563,354 $25.40
438 73140 — 268,525 365,524 $9,229,585 $25.25
17 97110 Physical Therapy Exercises 2,696,626 58,723,464 $1,481,216,120 $25.22
519 77001 — 221,604 270,197 $6,734,522 $24.92
240 73110 Wrist Radiograph 658,583 1,041,387 $25,897,070 $24.87
131 72100 Lumbar Spine Radiograph 1,395,972 1,745,606 $43,217,367 $24.76
108 73630 Foot Radiograph 1,641,895 2,614,098 $64,419,999 $24.64
372 88185 — 87,810 1,957,364 $47,904,554 $24.47
301 72040 — 489,510 614,726 $15,024,857 $24.44
244 97116 Gait Training 299,659 3,518,858 $85,471,881 $24.29
551 93356 — 202,102 217,785 $5,277,549 $24.23
261 94010 Spirometry 601,381 783,787 $18,626,181 $23.76
191 73130 Hand Radiograph 867,858 1,256,440 $28,786,191 $22.91
204 73610 Ankle Radiograph 791,652 1,205,466 $27,382,218 $22.72
69 77080 Central Bone Density Study 2,641,947 2,761,058 $62,670,197 $22.70
93 73030 Shoulder Radiograph 1,855,590 2,661,360 $59,739,443 $22.45
35 97140 Hands-On Physical Therapy 1,985,892 27,788,079 $622,866,656 $22.41
522 83861 — 218,823 590,291 $13,231,276 $22.41
385 92285 — 319,292 394,973 $8,657,661 $21.92
199 93016 Cardiovascular Stress Test Supervision 810,073 827,784 $17,916,121 $21.64
386 73620 — 318,547 469,330 $10,146,257 $21.62
84 99211 Established Patient Office Visit, Level 1 2,084,155 3,651,655 $78,707,873 $21.55
474 71101 — 251,294 280,839 $5,874,942 $20.92
308 86334 Immunofixation Electrophoresis 475,359 836,561 $17,362,266 $20.75
169 73560 Limited Knee Radiograph Study 1,025,084 1,492,020 $30,618,601 $20.52
227 88304 Surgical Pathology Examination, Level III 711,799 858,221 $17,558,959 $20.46
463 72070 — 256,513 300,670 $6,118,973 $20.35
504 82378 — 227,843 509,584 $9,636,509 $18.91
495 93227 — 237,317 248,957 $4,664,949 $18.74
561 73501 — 193,026 239,715 $4,453,857 $18.58
351 84154 — 366,328 453,415 $8,323,537 $18.36
82 84153 Prostate-Specific Antigen Test 2,184,511 3,181,936 $58,378,719 $18.35
554 83090 — 199,746 254,770 $4,562,031 $17.91
392 73080 — 312,256 394,213 $7,028,767 $17.83
454 86235 — 260,119 1,574,250 $28,056,880 $17.82
377 83520 — 325,016 790,019 $13,593,766 $17.21
294 76937 — 497,427 643,289 $11,040,088 $17.16
34 71046 Chest X-Ray, Two Views 4,865,680 6,785,593 $115,098,098 $16.96
171 84481 Free Triiodothyronine Test 966,469 1,433,993 $24,225,491 $16.89
306 92202 — 475,579 715,768 $12,080,094 $16.88
11 84443 Thyroid Blood Test 9,350,590 14,142,754 $237,311,904 $16.78
212 92567 Tympanometry 764,413 840,782 $14,014,786 $16.67
413 87804 Influenza Antigen Test 289,853 566,139 $9,299,760 $16.43
430 87880 Streptococcus Antigen Test 278,704 308,259 $5,047,947 $16.38
492 86800 — 241,240 310,555 $4,931,405 $15.88
456 74019 — 259,172 331,866 $5,264,083 $15.86
477 90471 — 250,992 261,660 $4,149,584 $15.86
419 82274 — 287,891 308,257 $4,884,141 $15.84
352 73552 — 364,487 529,908 $8,302,782 $15.67
202 95165 Allergen Immunotherapy Preparation 174,585 6,638,011 $102,244,712 $15.40
22 93000 Heart Tracing 6,791,421 10,271,035 $155,781,713 $15.17
490 73060 — 241,856 328,764 $4,956,598 $15.08
54 82607 Vitamin B12 Laboratory Test 3,091,224 4,120,819 $62,019,191 $15.05
545 97150 — 206,154 1,525,393 $22,418,968 $14.70
106 82746 Folate Laboratory Test 1,699,907 2,241,268 $32,895,184 $14.68
172 93018 Cardiovascular Stress Test Interpretation 965,933 988,514 $14,430,738 $14.60
248 72170 Pelvis Radiograph 632,526 730,576 $10,616,509 $14.53
363 86376 — 338,549 412,422 $5,988,888 $14.52
473 99406 — 251,357 388,981 $5,590,415 $14.37
217 84165 Serum Protein Electrophoresis 740,453 1,246,358 $17,842,839 $14.32
297 86803 — 495,966 538,757 $7,662,008 $14.22
325 84480 — 442,322 626,521 $8,870,604 $14.16
354 73590 — 356,189 473,353 $6,613,034 $13.97
502 86225 — 229,279 281,330 $3,847,325 $13.68
80 96372 Therapeutic Injection Administration 2,217,960 7,870,235 $107,263,624 $13.63
324 88311 — 442,957 579,940 $7,892,400 $13.61
96 82728 Ferritin Laboratory Test 1,792,841 3,048,255 $41,445,947 $13.60
9 80061 Cholesterol Blood Panel 11,874,207 17,828,953 $238,202,166 $13.36
367 86141 — 331,907 447,835 $5,790,608 $12.93
421 86200 — 284,813 313,295 $4,037,892 $12.89
539 84466 — 210,067 353,744 $4,497,344 $12.71
471 76376 — 253,230 289,927 $3,680,379 $12.69
435 80305 — 270,595 598,438 $7,430,256 $12.42
254 86038 Antinuclear Antibody Test 625,164 716,694 $8,646,154 $12.06
155 74018 Abdominal Radiograph 1,171,003 2,072,588 $24,737,595 $11.94
380 83516 — 321,726 667,074 $7,667,721 $11.49
526 97035 — 217,762 1,485,077 $16,954,481 $11.42
337 76514 — 412,924 443,114 $4,972,419 $11.22
427 51741 — 280,848 357,469 $3,966,786 $11.10
482 11719 — 247,293 648,208 $7,078,892 $10.92
144 51798 Bladder Residual Urine Measurement 1,270,548 1,905,290 $20,090,624 $10.54
5 80053 Full Metabolic Blood Panel 13,529,894 27,383,096 $288,548,774 $10.54
304 83721 — 477,997 673,077 $7,049,545 $10.47
464 87340 — 255,806 277,376 $2,854,586 $10.29
16 83036 Average Blood Sugar Test 7,947,832 14,058,139 $136,052,308 $9.68
30 71045 Chest X-Ray, One View 5,579,275 15,025,724 $142,186,524 $9.46
45 84439 Free T4 Thyroid Test 3,470,611 5,220,321 $46,989,247 $9.00
509 93321 — 226,199 272,961 $2,430,803 $8.91
119 83550 Iron-Binding Capacity Test 1,524,243 2,463,689 $21,478,396 $8.72
288 80069 Renal Function Panel 518,517 1,001,794 $8,665,532 $8.65
129 87186 Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing 1,412,108 2,501,120 $21,612,455 $8.64
331 87070 — 425,106 529,582 $4,559,348 $8.61
48 80048 Basic Metabolic Blood Panel 3,371,149 5,770,979 $48,700,704 $8.44
20 93010 Heart Tracing Reading 7,378,908 16,114,564 $135,929,483 $8.44
201 80076 Hepatic Function Panel 798,605 1,264,603 $10,293,590 $8.14
135 87088 Urine Culture Identification 1,336,346 2,061,088 $16,655,452 $8.08
151 87077 Microorganism Identification From Culture 1,197,223 1,877,205 $15,144,661 $8.07
68 87086 Urine Culture 2,652,759 4,367,506 $35,202,501 $8.06
8 85025 Blood Cell Count With Differential 12,316,906 26,924,736 $208,693,012 $7.75
555 93042 — 197,947 310,513 $2,220,336 $7.15
369 82977 — 331,141 532,939 $3,809,317 $7.15
359 83690 — 342,801 430,709 $2,959,366 $6.87
209 84436 Total Thyroxine Test 775,304 1,042,488 $7,154,891 $6.86
100 83735 Magnesium Laboratory Test 1,753,788 3,260,800 $21,783,672 $6.68
296 93325 Echocardiographic Color Flow Mapping 497,018 595,977 $3,935,343 $6.60
181 82550 Creatine Kinase Test 886,367 1,417,475 $9,199,408 $6.49
424 82150 — 283,739 381,873 $2,468,260 $6.46
333 84479 — 418,646 563,653 $3,642,820 $6.46
78 85027 Blood Cell Count 2,222,466 3,274,253 $21,137,646 $6.46
89 83540 Iron Laboratory Test 1,868,107 3,121,903 $20,147,026 $6.45
353 93005 — 363,903 416,476 $2,676,032 $6.43
59 17003 Additional Premalignant Skin Lesion Destruction 2,897,728 18,008,414 $112,348,324 $6.24
404 82044 — 298,985 379,181 $2,338,980 $6.17
253 83615 Lactate Dehydrogenase Test 625,499 1,450,030 $8,712,454 $6.01
416 85730 — 289,338 369,612 $2,218,947 $6.00
64 82043 Urine Albumin Test 2,707,442 3,614,031 $20,821,831 $5.76
310 86431 — 475,100 577,308 $3,267,295 $5.66
229 84460 Alanine Aminotransferase Test 705,974 1,740,875 $9,134,224 $5.25
57 82570 Urine Creatinine Test 3,060,713 4,578,192 $23,649,140 $5.17
133 86140 C-Reactive Protein Test 1,338,482 2,306,059 $11,911,981 $5.17
273 84450 — 552,775 850,268 $4,316,554 $5.08
183 82565 Blood Creatinine Test 883,253 1,333,510 $6,706,088 $5.03
410 84075 — 295,000 418,946 $2,092,458 $4.99
235 82248 Direct Bilirubin Test 672,824 1,034,529 $5,116,390 $4.95
444 82247 — 265,815 434,294 $2,106,464 $4.85
345 82310 — 395,590 553,812 $2,685,951 $4.85
358 82040 — 344,832 511,308 $2,453,974 $4.80
425 96127 — 281,588 497,719 $2,386,084 $4.79
431 84132 — 277,390 411,448 $1,946,409 $4.73
188 84100 Phosphorus Laboratory Test 875,557 1,711,362 $8,070,794 $4.72
535 84295 — 213,902 317,680 $1,456,396 $4.58
105 84550 Uric Acid Laboratory Test 1,717,712 2,856,663 $12,873,351 $4.51
177 85610 Prothrombin Time Test 919,579 5,241,264 $22,429,845 $4.28
556 86592 — 196,386 226,228 $965,630 $4.27
347 85651 — 386,375 630,838 $2,683,018 $4.25
493 95004 — 151,608 8,362,258 $35,232,964 $4.21
283 81000 — 535,756 891,020 $3,562,252 $4.00
499 85045 — 231,623 322,586 $1,285,085 $3.98
286 82947 — 529,131 975,744 $3,808,667 $3.90
332 84520 — 422,629 617,334 $2,389,338 $3.87
247 84156 Urine Protein Test 632,537 1,111,099 $4,068,228 $3.66
326 84155 — 442,069 605,922 $2,169,343 $3.58
102 81002 Manual Urinalysis 1,723,102 2,589,054 $8,958,317 $3.46
316 82962 — 460,380 1,012,490 $3,295,379 $3.25
38 81001 Urine Test With Microscope Exam 4,093,507 6,389,937 $20,203,552 $3.16
3 36415 Blood Draw 15,860,566 42,365,821 $126,789,250 $2.99
139 85652 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Test 1,310,799 2,168,461 $5,843,861 $2.69
505 85018 — 227,842 375,291 $884,727 $2.36
43 81003 Automated Urinalysis 3,597,838 5,728,729 $12,831,695 $2.24

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 7,889 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2021, 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 56.6% of the $83.0B these 500 codes account for.

  1. 1 99214 Long Follow-Up Office Visit $12.0B
  2. 2 99213 Routine Follow-Up Office Visit $6.6B
  3. 3 99232 Daily Hospital Visit $2.7B
  4. 4 99233 Extended Daily Hospital Visit $2.6B
  5. 5 66984 Cataract Surgery $2.0B
  6. 6 99204 Long New Patient Office Visit $1.9B
  7. 7 99215 Longest Follow-Up Office Visit $1.9B
  8. 8 99223 Extended Hospital Admission Visit $1.8B
  9. 9 99285 Emergency Visit, Highest Urgency $1.6B
  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
#28
By allowed dollars
#400
Per service
$2.24
Few patients, lots of money
37229 Leg Artery Plaque Removal
By beneficiaries
#471
By allowed dollars
#41
Per service
$8,085.48

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

These are CY2021 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 CY2021 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 7,889 CPT codes billed to Medicare in CY2021; this table shows the top 500 we cover.

Source: CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners—by Geography and Service, national rows, CY2021. 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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