CPT code 93898: Shunt detection, IV microbubble injection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports transcranial Doppler detection of a venous-to-arterial shunt using intravenous microbubble contrast, typically during evaluation for a right-to-left shunt.
Medicare pays $237.97–$266.87 for 93898 in the office in Georgia, from Rest of Georgia to Atlanta, GA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 93898 covers
This service uses transcranial Doppler monitoring to look for microbubbles passing from the venous circulation into the cerebral arteries, indicating a right-to-left shunt. It may be part of an evaluation for a suspected shunt, including in a patient with an otherwise unexplained stroke or suspected paradoxical embolism. A vascular or neurovascular ultrasound team performs the monitoring, and a qualified clinician interprets the findings.
Report 93898 only as an add-on with 93893; it is not a standalone service. Documentation should support the shunt evaluation and record the intravenous microbubble administration, Doppler monitoring, and interpretation. CMS identifies separately priced professional and technical components: modifier 26 represents the interpretation, modifier TC represents the equipment and staff, and billing without either modifier represents the global service. Payment for this add-on is within the primary procedure’s global period.
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 93898 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | $266.87 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Georgia | $237.97 | Unavailable |
How the 93898 rate is calculated
Each of 93898’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.
How the rate is built · 93898
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.83
0.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.95
6.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
7.8600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$262.53
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 93898
The CMS indicators that decide how 93898 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 93898
Shunt detection, IV microbubble injection
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
93898 without 26 · national office
$262.53
Shunt detection, IV microbubble injection
93898-26 · Professional component
$44.09
Pays only the interpretation and report.
93898 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 93893Transcranial DopplerVenous-arterial shunt detection
- 93893 is the primary procedure for the transcranial Doppler shunt study; 93898 is reported with it for shunt detection using intravenous microbubble injection.
- 93892Emboli detectionWithout injection
- 93892 concerns emboli detection without intravenous microbubble injection. Use 93898 with its primary procedure when the service is venous-to-arterial shunt detection.
- 93886Intracranial DopplerComplete study
- 93886 represents a complete intracranial Doppler study, not the microbubble shunt-detection add-on reported with 93893.
- 93888Transcranial DopplerLimited intracranial study
- 93888 represents a limited intracranial Doppler study; 93898 is for microbubble shunt detection and requires its primary procedure.
93898 billing questions
Can 93898 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the primary procedure, 93893.
How is 93898 different from 93893?
93893 is the primary transcranial Doppler shunt study. Report 93898 with it for the shunt-detection service involving intravenous microbubble injection.
Which modifiers identify the professional and technical components?
Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 93898?
Document the clinical reason for shunt evaluation, the intravenous microbubble administration, transcranial Doppler monitoring, and the interpreted findings.
Is payment for 93898 separate from the primary procedure’s global period?
No. CMS treats this add-on payment as falling within the primary procedure’s global period.
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
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