$108.44
94617 evaluates exercise-related bronchospasm and includes ECG. Choose 94618 for a simple pulmonary stress assessment not specifically directed at bronchospasm.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
94618 Pulmonary stress test Medicare reimbursement rates in Alaska
Reports a simple exercise-based pulmonary assessment, such as a six-minute walk, to evaluate exertional symptoms and physiologic response. Compare 94618 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alaska.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 94618 in Alaska?
Alaska has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$45.80
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
No supported rate
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Pulmonary function testing
About 94618: Pulmonary exercise stress test
Reports a simple exercise-based pulmonary assessment, such as a six-minute walk, to evaluate exertional symptoms and physiologic response.
This service evaluates how a patient’s breathing and oxygenation respond to exercise. A common example is a six-minute walk test for a patient with exertional breathlessness or suspected exercise-related desaturation. The patient walks or performs another defined exercise activity while the clinical team observes symptoms and measures physiologic responses such as oxygen saturation and heart rate. Pulmonologists and other qualified clinicians may supervise the test, with respiratory therapists or trained staff commonly assisting in an outpatient pulmonary function laboratory or clinic.
Report 94618 for a simple pulmonary stress assessment, rather than a test designed specifically to provoke bronchospasm or a comprehensive cardiopulmonary exercise study. The record should identify the indication, exercise method, relevant measurements, patient response, and clinician interpretation. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment-and-staff portion, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 94618
- Professional and technical components
- Diagnostic test with a professional component (modifier 26, interpretation) and a technical component (modifier TC, equipment and staff); billing without a modifier is the global service.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.47 · 42%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.61 · 55%
- Malpractice RVU0.03 · 3%
251.4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #344 by national volume
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.
94618 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alaska, from the same CMS release.
$77.60
94619 evaluates exercise-related bronchospasm without ECG. 94618 is for a simple pulmonary exercise assessment with a different testing purpose.
$194.94
94621 is for comprehensive cardiopulmonary exercise testing. 94618 describes a simpler pulmonary stress assessment, such as a six-minute walk.
Compare 94618 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alaska* →
Office / nonfacility
$45.80
Facility
Unavailable
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 94618 in Alaska*.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
12,401
- Code
- 94618
- Physician work
- 0.47
- Practice expense
- 0.61
- Malpractice
- 0.03
GPCI2026.csv
5
- Locality
- Alaska*
- Physician work
- 1.500
- Practice expense
- 1.065
- Malpractice
- 0.551
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.47 | × 1.500 | 0.7050 |
| Practice expense | 0.61 | × 1.065 | 0.6496 |
| Malpractice | 0.03 | × 0.551 | 0.0165 |
| Total RVUs | 1.3712 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alaska*$45.80
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.47 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 0.61 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 0.03 | 0.551 |
(0.47 × 1.5 + 0.61 × 1.065 + 0.03 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $45.80
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
94618 billing questions
When should 94618 be used instead of 94621?
Use 94618 for a simple pulmonary exercise assessment, commonly a walk test with physiologic monitoring. Use 94621 when the service is a comprehensive cardiopulmonary exercise test.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service involving equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports 94618?
Document the clinical reason for testing, exercise method, relevant measurements, patient symptoms or response, and interpretation. For a walk test, include the walking performance and recorded physiologic findings.
Is a six-minute walk an example of this service?
Yes. A six-minute walk is a common simple pulmonary stress assessment reported with 94618 when performed to evaluate the patient’s response to exercise.
How does 94618 differ from an exercise bronchospasm test?
94618 evaluates the pulmonary response to exercise. Codes 94617 and 94619 are used for exercise testing directed at bronchospasm, with the applicable code distinguished by ECG use.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
12,39894617,,Exercise tst brncspsm w/ecg,A,,0.68,2.07,,2.07,NA,0.04,2.79,2.79,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,39994617,26,Exercise tst brncspsm w/ecg,A,,0.68,0.25,,0.25,,0.01,0.94,0.94,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,40094617,TC,Exercise tst brncspsm w/ecg,A,,0.00,1.82,,1.82,NA,0.03,1.85,1.85,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,40194618,,Pulmonary stress testing,A,,0.47,0.61,,0.61,NA,0.03,1.11,1.11,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,40294618,26,Pulmonary stress testing,A,,0.47,0.19,,0.19,,0.02,0.68,0.68,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,40394618,TC,Pulmonary stress testing,A,,0.00,0.42,,0.42,NA,0.01,0.43,0.43,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,40494619,,Exercise tst brncspsm wo ecg,A,,0.48,1.49,,1.49,NA,0.03,2.00,2.00,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609