Billing code 89049: MH susceptibility testMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports specialized muscle contracture testing that evaluates malignant hyperthermia susceptibility, typically after a patient or family history raises concern.
Medicare pays $344.09–$375.98 for 89049 in the office in Florida, from Rest Of Florida to Miami. 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.
On this page 8 sections
What 89049 covers
This specialized test evaluates how fresh skeletal muscle responds to caffeine and halothane under controlled laboratory conditions. A muscle specimen is obtained for testing, generally through a biopsy, and the contracture response helps assess susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia. It is used in specialized testing settings for patients with a concerning personal history or a family history of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility; it is not a test for treating an acute anesthetic crisis.
Report the code when the contracture testing itself is performed, rather than for a muscle biopsy alone or for genetic testing alone. Documentation should identify the clinical reason for testing and support that the muscle specimen underwent the contracture procedure, with the resulting interpretation recorded. CMS assigns physician fee schedule values to this service; those values contribute to payment calculation. The supplied CMS rules list no code-specific payment adjustments.
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 89049 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$344.09 to $375.98
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | $363.18 | $63.40 |
| Miami | $375.98 | $67.92 |
| Rest Of Florida | $344.09 | $61.18 |
How the 89049 rate is calculated
Each of 89049’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 · 89049
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.37Practice expense 9.06Malpractice 0.18
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 89049
89049 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.
Place of service · 89049
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
Non-facility (office) rate · national
$354.38
The facility rate would be $58.45 (+$295.93). In a facility, the facility bills its own costs separately.
89049 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
89049 vs 20205 vs 81479: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 20205Muscle biopsy
- This code describes a deep muscle biopsy. Code 89049 identifies contracture testing of muscle; the biopsy alone does not establish that the test was performed.
- 81479Unlisted molecular pathology
- This is an unlisted molecular pathology code, not the caffeine-halothane contracture procedure. Select coding based on the actual molecular assay when genetic testing is performed.
89049 billing questions
When is this code appropriate instead of a genetic test?
Use it for the caffeine-halothane contracture test performed on skeletal muscle. A molecular assay is a different service and should be coded according to the assay performed.
Does this code report the muscle biopsy?
It identifies the contracture testing, not a standalone biopsy. The biopsy is the source of the muscle specimen; any separate reporting of tissue collection must reflect a distinct service and applicable coding guidance.
What documentation supports reporting the test?
Document the clinical concern, such as a relevant personal or family history, and that fresh skeletal muscle underwent contracture testing. Retain the test findings and interpretation.
Is this code used to evaluate an acute reaction during anesthesia?
No. This test evaluates susceptibility using a muscle specimen; it does not describe management of an acute malignant hyperthermia event.
Should a body-fluid cell count code be reported for the muscle specimen?
No. A body-fluid cell count describes a different laboratory service and does not represent contracture testing of skeletal muscle.
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
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