CPT code 94680: Oxygen uptake test, direct, rest and exercise2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports direct expired-gas measurement of oxygen uptake at rest and during exercise, when both conditions are assessed using this simple testing service.
Medicare pays $62.11–$79.64 for 94680 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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 94680 covers
This service measures oxygen uptake by analyzing expired gas directly, first at rest and then during exercise. It is performed in pulmonary function laboratories and similar diagnostic settings, typically by respiratory testing staff with a qualified clinician interpreting the findings. The results can help assess exercise-related respiratory or metabolic limitations; the service is narrower than a comprehensive cardiopulmonary exercise evaluation.
Select this code when the documented test includes direct oxygen-uptake measurement at both rest and exercise. The record should support the conditions tested and the direct expired-gas method; distinguish it from indirect measurement and from exercise testing that evaluates a broader set of cardiopulmonary responses. CMS recognizes separately priced professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for the interpretation, modifier TC for equipment and staff, or neither for the global service.
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 94680 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$62.11 to $79.64
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $62.20 | Unavailable |
| Chico, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| El Centro, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Fresno, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Hanford, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles, CA | $66.65 | Unavailable |
| Madera, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Marin County, CA | $77.89 | Unavailable |
| Merced, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Modesto, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Napa, CA | $73.22 | Unavailable |
| Oxnard, CA | $66.45 | Unavailable |
| Redding, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Rest of California | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Riverside, CA | $62.44 | Unavailable |
| Sacramento, CA | $65.51 | Unavailable |
| Salinas, CA | $65.28 | Unavailable |
| San Benito County, CA | $79.64 | Unavailable |
| San Diego, CA | $67.07 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco, CA | $77.86 | Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $64.19 | Unavailable |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $79.50 | Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $67.91 | Unavailable |
| Santa Maria, CA | $65.59 | Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $68.61 | Unavailable |
| Stockton, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Vallejo, CA | $73.17 | Unavailable |
| Visalia, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
| Yuba City, CA | $62.11 | Unavailable |
How the 94680 rate is calculated
Each of 94680’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 · 94680
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.25
0.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.45
1.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.7300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$57.78
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 94680
The CMS indicators that decide how 94680 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 94680
Oxygen uptake test, direct, rest and exercise
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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
94680 without 26 · national office
$57.78
Oxygen uptake test, direct, rest and exercise
94680-26 · Professional component
$12.36
Pays only the interpretation and report.
94680 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 94681Gas-exchange analysisCO2 output and derived measures
- Choose 94680 for direct oxygen-uptake measurement at rest and exercise. 94681 includes carbon dioxide output and oxygen-extraction measures.
- 94690Metabolic testingResting oxygen uptake
- 94690 is indirect oxygen-uptake analysis at rest. 94680 uses direct expired-gas analysis and includes exercise testing.
- 94618Pulmonary stress testSimple exercise assessment
- 94618 is pulmonary stress testing focused on the exercise response; 94680 measures oxygen uptake directly from expired gas at rest and during exercise.
- 94621Exercise testCardiopulmonary gas analysis
- 94621 is a broader cardiopulmonary exercise evaluation with multiple physiologic measures. 94680 identifies the narrower direct oxygen-uptake service.
94680 billing questions
How is 94680 different from 94690?
94680 describes direct oxygen-uptake analysis at rest and during exercise. 94690 is for indirect oxygen-uptake analysis at rest.
When should modifier 26 or TC be used?
Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service involving equipment and staff. Report the global service without either modifier when one claim includes both components.
Is 94680 the same as a cardiopulmonary exercise test?
No. 94680 identifies direct oxygen-uptake measurement at rest and with exercise; 94621 describes a broader cardiopulmonary exercise evaluation.
What should the test documentation show?
Document that oxygen uptake was measured by direct expired-gas analysis and that testing covered both rest and exercise.
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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