Billing code 95887: Needle EMGMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports needle muscle sampling of cranial-nerve or axial muscles during a nerve-conduction evaluation, rather than needle testing confined to an extremity.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities11.6K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $88.18 for 95887 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $78.65–$118.59.

Medicare rate · 95887

Needle EMG

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
0.69
Total RVUs
2.64
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$88.18

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 95887 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 95887 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 95887 covers

This service evaluates electrical activity in muscles outside the limbs while nerve conduction testing is also performed. The sampled muscles may include facial or other cranial-nerve-supplied muscles, spinal muscles, or thoracic paraspinal muscles. Neurologists, physiatrists, and other clinicians trained in electrodiagnostic testing commonly perform and interpret the study in office or facility settings. The needle examination helps assess motor-unit activity in muscles selected to investigate a suspected nerve, root, or neuromuscular disorder.

Report 95887 as an add-on with the nerve-conduction study primary procedure, not by itself. Documentation should identify the muscles examined, the clinical reason for sampling them, and the findings, alongside the nerve-conduction study record. CMS treats it as paid within the primary procedure's global period. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the technical service; without either modifier, the claim represents the global service. When performed bilaterally, each side is paid separately at 100%.

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 95887 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$78.65 to $118.59

$78.65$98.62$118.59
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

95887 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$79.73Unavailable
Alaska*$103.42Unavailable
Arizona$86.05Unavailable
Arkansas$78.65Unavailable
Atlanta$89.47Unavailable
Austin$91.83Unavailable
Bakersfield$94.38Unavailable
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$93.47Unavailable
Beaumont$82.34Unavailable
Brazoria$87.57Unavailable

95887 rates by state

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

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$78.65

$106.43

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
95887 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$103.421
AL$79.731
AR$78.651
AZ$86.051
CA$94.26–$118.5929
CO$92.341
CT$93.791
DC$100.951
DE$87.421
FL$85.86–$92.343
GA$81.44–$89.472
GU$96.541
HI$96.541
IA$82.121
ID$82.521
IL$83.16–$90.844
IN$82.981
KS$81.521
KY$80.971
LA$80.76–$84.532
MA$91.74–$101.452
MD$89.10–$100.953
ME$82.67–$87.232
MI$82.73–$86.622
MN$89.331
MO$79.30–$85.103
MS$79.001
MT$88.181
NC$83.521
ND$87.581
NE$82.621
NH$90.681
NJ$95.10–$99.962
NM$83.061
NV$88.081
NY$84.67–$102.635
OH$82.611
OK$81.091
OR$87.62–$95.412
PA$82.86–$91.422
PR$88.871
RI$90.621
SC$83.151
SD$87.511
TN$81.881
TX$82.34–$91.838
UT$84.231
VA$86.79–$100.952
VI$88.871
VT$87.041
WA$91.64–$103.702
WI$84.791
WV$80.211
WY$87.921

How the 95887 rate is calculated

Each of 95887’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 · 95887

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 0.69Practice expense 1.92Malpractice 0.03

2.6400 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$88.18

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 95887

The CMS indicators that decide how 95887 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 95887

Needle EMG

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)3Each side paid at 100% (no 150% cap).
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical1Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 26 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

95887 without 26 · national office

$88.18

Needle EMG

95887-26 · Professional component

$37.07

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

95887 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

95887 vs 95885 vs 95886 vs 95867 vs 95869: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 95887
    Needle EMG · 0.69 wRVU
    $88.18
  • 95885
    Needle EMG · 0.34 wRVU
    $64.46−$23.72
  • 95886
    Needle EMG add-on · 0.84 wRVU
    $99.87+$11.69
  • 95867
    Needle EMG · 0.77 wRVU
    $107.22+$19.04
  • 95869
    Needle EMG · 0.36 wRVU
    $95.19+$7.01

How to choose

95885Needle EMG
95885 covers limited needle EMG of limb muscles performed with nerve conduction. Choose 95887 for non-extremity muscles.
95886Needle EMG add-on
95886 covers complete needle EMG of limb muscles performed with nerve conduction; 95887 is for non-extremity muscle sampling.
95867Needle EMG
95867 describes unilateral cranial-nerve muscle needle EMG. 95887 is used when non-extremity needle testing is performed with nerve conduction studies.
95869Needle EMG
95869 is a thoracic paraspinal needle EMG code. Use 95887 when the non-extremity muscle testing is performed with nerve conduction studies.

95887 billing questions

When should I choose 95887 instead of 95885 or 95886?

Use 95887 for non-extremity muscle sampling performed with nerve conduction testing. Codes 95885 and 95886 describe limited or complete needle EMG testing of limb muscles in that setting.

Can 95887 be billed without a nerve-conduction study?

No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with a primary procedure, such as an applicable nerve-conduction study code.

How should I report the professional and technical services?

Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service. Without a component modifier, the claim represents the global service.

How is bilateral testing reported?

When testing is performed on both sides, CMS pays each side separately at 100%. Document the muscles and side examined.

What documentation supports 95887?

Record the non-extremity muscles sampled, the reason for examining them, the study findings, and the associated nerve-conduction testing.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 95887PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 12,624 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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