Billing code 93897: Emboli monitoringMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports each additional 30 minutes of transcranial Doppler emboli detection without intravenous microbubble injection, beyond the primary monitoring service.
Medicare pays $218.29–$249.47 for 93897 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 9 sections
What 93897 covers
This add-on represents another 30 minutes of transcranial Doppler monitoring for embolic signals in the intracranial arteries, without intravenous microbubble injection. A vascular sonographer typically acquires the Doppler data in a vascular laboratory or hospital setting; a physician with appropriate expertise interprets the diagnostic study. The additional interval may extend monitoring when emboli surveillance requires more time than the primary service covers.
Report 93897 only with the primary emboli-detection service, 93892, and document the additional monitoring time and the study findings. It is not a stand-alone report for the initial monitoring service. CMS treats it as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period. The diagnostic test has professional and technical components: append modifier 26 for the interpretation or TC for equipment and staff; without either modifier, the claim 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 93897 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$218.29 to $249.47
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $249.47 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont | $218.29 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria | $235.18 | Unavailable |
| Dallas | $236.47 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | $234.39 | Unavailable |
| Galveston | $235.73 | Unavailable |
| Houston | $237.20 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | $226.46 | Unavailable |
How the 93897 rate is calculated
Each of 93897’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 · 93897
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.71Practice expense 6.32Malpractice 0.08
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 93897
The CMS indicators that decide how 93897 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 93897
Emboli monitoring
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| 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
93897 without 26 · national office
$237.48
Emboli monitoring
93897-26 · Professional component
$37.41
Pays only the interpretation and report.
93897 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
93897 vs 93892 vs 93893 vs 93898 vs 93886: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 93892Tcd emboli detect w/o inj
- 93892 reports the primary emboli-detection service without intravenous microbubble injection; 93897 represents each additional 30 minutes and must accompany the primary service.
- 93893Tcd std icr art ven-art shnt
- 93893 is for emboli detection with intravenous microbubble injection. Choose 93897 only for additional monitoring time without that injection.
- 93898Shunt detection
- 93898 evaluates for a venous-to-arterial shunt using microbubble injection; 93897 extends non-injection emboli monitoring.
- 93886Intracranial Doppler
- 93886 reports a complete intracranial transcranial Doppler study, while 93897 adds time to the primary emboli-detection service.
93897 billing questions
When should 93897 be reported instead of 93892?
Use 93892 for the primary emboli-detection service without intravenous microbubble injection. Report 93897 for each additional 30 minutes of monitoring, with 93892.
Can 93897 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with its primary emboli-detection service, 93892.
Which modifiers identify the professional and technical services?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports an additional unit?
Document the total monitoring time, including the additional interval, and the findings from the transcranial Doppler emboli-detection study.
How does 93897 differ from 93893?
93897 adds monitoring time without intravenous microbubble injection. 93893 describes emboli detection with microbubble injection, rather than additional time for the non-injection service.
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
Fee sheets
Put 93897 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →