CPT code 93018: Stress test interpretation, interpretation and report only2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $13.69 for 93018 nationally in the office and $13.69 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $13.01–$18.63.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 93018 covers

This service involves reviewing ECG tracings, heart rate and blood pressure responses, symptoms, arrhythmias, and ST-segment changes recorded during a treadmill, bicycle, or pharmacologic stress test, then issuing a signed report. The report addresses ischemic findings and a conclusion, along with exercise capacity and the reason for stopping when exercise is used. Cardiologists commonly interpret stress tests performed in hospital outpatient departments or other facilities. One physician may supervise the test while a different physician interprets it.

CMS designates 93018 as a professional-component-only code for the interpretation and report. When separately billed, the equipment, staff, and tracing are represented by 93017, rather than 93018. Because 93018 already identifies the professional service, modifier 26 is not appended. A physician who both supervises and interprets a facility test may report 93016 with 93018. When one billing entity provides supervision, tracing, and interpretation, report the complete stress test with 93015 instead. Documentation should include the interpreting physician's signed findings and conclusion.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 93018 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

93018 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 93018 rate is calculated

Each of 93018’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 93018

The CMS indicators that decide how 93018 is paid alongside other services.

93018 compared with similar codes

How to choose

93015Cardiac stress testGlobal: supervision, tracing, interpretation

93015 covers the complete stress test when the billing entity provides supervision, tracing, and interpretation. Use 93018 for only the interpretation and report.

93016Stress test supervisionSupervision without tracing or interpretation

93016 covers supervision during the test without interpretation. 93018 covers the interpretation and report; a physician providing both services may report both codes.

93017Stress testTracing only

93017 represents the tracing-only portion of the stress test. 93018 represents the physician's interpretation and report.

93010ECG interpretationInterpretation and report only

93010 is for interpreting a routine 12-lead ECG, such as a resting tracing. 93018 is for interpreting the ECG findings from cardiovascular stress testing.

Codes related to 93018

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates