Billing code 95865: Laryngeal EMGMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $153.64 for 95865 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $138.27–$202.17.

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

What 95865 covers

A needle electrode records electrical activity in laryngeal muscles at rest and during task activation. Physicians use the study to assess suspected laryngeal nerve or muscle dysfunction, including vocal-fold weakness or immobility and certain cases of unexplained dysphonia. It is typically performed by an otolaryngologist with laryngology expertise or a physician experienced in electrodiagnostic testing, often in an outpatient setting or a hospital clinic.

Report 95865 for the laryngeal needle examination, rather than an extremity or other-site EMG code. The record should identify the clinical indication, muscles examined, findings, and physician interpretation. CMS prices this code as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. For split professional and technical billing, modifier 26 identifies the interpretation and modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff; billing without either modifier represents 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 95865 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

95865 rates by state

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

How the 95865 rate is calculated

Each of 95865’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 95865

The CMS indicators that decide how 95865 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 26

95865 compared with similar codes

How to choose

95867Needle EMG

95865 is specific to laryngeal muscles. Use 95867 for a unilateral needle examination of other cranial nerve-innervated muscles.

95868Needle EMG

95868 covers bilateral cranial nerve muscle examination outside the larynx; 95865 is the laryngeal-specific study and is already priced as bilateral.

95870Needle EMG

95870 is for a limited needle examination of muscles without a more specific site code. Select 95865 when the study targets laryngeal muscles.

Codes related to 95865

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