Billing code 93018: Stress test interpretationMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Physician interpretation and written report of an exercise or pharmacologic cardiovascular stress test, reported when the billing physician provides the reading rather than the complete test.
Medicare pays $13.44 for 93018 in the office in Utah (Utah). 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 93018 covers
This service involves reviewing ECG tracings, heart rate and blood pressure responses, symptoms, arrhythmias, and ST-segment changes recorded during a treadmill, bicycle, or pharmacologic stress test, then issuing a signed report. The report addresses ischemic findings and a conclusion, along with exercise capacity and the reason for stopping when exercise is used. Cardiologists commonly interpret stress tests performed in hospital outpatient departments or other facilities. One physician may supervise the test while a different physician interprets it.
CMS designates 93018 as a professional-component-only code for the interpretation and report. When separately billed, the equipment, staff, and tracing are represented by 93017, rather than 93018. Because 93018 already identifies the professional service, modifier 26 is not appended. A physician who both supervises and interprets a facility test may report 93016 with 93018. When one billing entity provides supervision, tracing, and interpretation, report the complete stress test with 93015 instead. Documentation should include the interpreting physician's signed findings and conclusion.
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.
93018 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $13.44 | $13.44 |
How the 93018 rate is calculated
Each of 93018’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 · 93018
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.29Practice expense 0.11Malpractice 0.01
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 93018
The CMS indicators that decide how 93018 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 93018
Stress test interpretation
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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 | 2 | Professional component only. |
93018 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
93018 vs 93015 vs 93016 vs 93017 vs 93010: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 93015Cardiac stress test
- 93015 covers the complete stress test when the billing entity provides supervision, tracing, and interpretation. Use 93018 for only the interpretation and report.
- 93016Stress test supervision
- 93016 covers supervision during the test without interpretation. 93018 covers the interpretation and report; a physician providing both services may report both codes.
- 93017Stress test
- 93017 represents the tracing-only portion of the stress test. 93018 represents the physician's interpretation and report.
- 93010ECG interpretation
- 93010 is for interpreting a routine 12-lead ECG, such as a resting tracing. 93018 is for interpreting the ECG findings from cardiovascular stress testing.
93018 billing questions
Should modifier 26 be added to this code?
No. The code itself identifies the interpretation and report, so modifier 26 is not used.
When is the global stress test code used instead of this one?
Report 93015 when the billing entity provides supervision, tracing, and interpretation, often in an office that supplies the equipment. Report 93018 when billing only for the interpretation and report.
Can the same physician bill supervision and interpretation separately?
Yes. For a facility test, a physician who both supervises and interprets it may report 93016 and 93018, while the facility provides the tracing.
Is this reported with nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging?
It may be reported alongside myocardial perfusion imaging when the stress ECG interpretation is performed and documented separately. Interpretation of the perfusion images is a distinct service.
Is it separately reportable with a stress echocardiogram?
It depends on the echocardiography code and services provided. With 93350, the stress ECG interpretation may be reported separately; 93351 includes the stress test supervision, ECG monitoring, interpretation, and report.
What documentation supports this code?
A signed report should reflect the physician's review of the tracings and hemodynamic data, relevant ST changes or arrhythmias, exercise tolerance when applicable, and a clinical conclusion.
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
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