Echocardiogram Limited price: Medicare anchor and facility lever
Anchor for Echocardiogram Limited - CPT 93308
$99.23
Professional (26) $24.94 plus technical (TC) $74.29.
Hospital OPPS facility anchor, this code billed alone: $243.77 (APC 5523, Level 3 Imaging without Contrast; national unadjusted, before wage-index adjustment).
A limited or follow-up echocardiogram, CPT 93308, looks at fewer structures than the complete study. It is often used to recheck a known finding. In a hospital it maps to a lower APC than the complete echo, which makes the code on the order the most useful thing to confirm.
CPT code
93308
Echocardiography, transthoracic, real-time with image documentation (2D), includes M-mode recording, when performed, follow-up or limited study
CPT 93308 is the follow-up or limited transthoracic study. The complete study with Doppler and color flow is 93306. Confirm which study was ordered.
The codes this visit can be billed under
| CPT | PFS office or global | PFS facility (professional) | Global period | Hospital single-service APC | Minimum Medicare copay at hospital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93308 (this page) | $99.23 | $99.23 | not a surgical global | $243.77 (APC 5523) | $48.76 |
| 93306 | $193.43 | $193.43 | not a surgical global | $558.25 (APC 5524) | $111.65 |
In CY2026, 93308 maps to hospital APC 5523 at $243.77, with a minimum unadjusted copayment of $48.76. The complete study, 93306, maps to APC 5524 at $558.25. At a cardiology office the global anchors are $99.23 for the limited study and $193.43 for the complete one.
If the study is converted to a complete echo during the visit, both the hospital APC and the fee schedule anchor change. Ask how the facility handles a change in scope and whether you will be told before it happens.
For a Medicare patient billed by a hospital, 93308 carries a minimum unadjusted facility copayment of $48.76, against $111.65 for the complete study. The cardiologist's coinsurance is figured on the professional component of $24.94. In a cardiology office billing globally, coinsurance applies once to $99.23.
A limited study is often a repeat of an earlier echo. If the earlier study was done at a different facility, ask whether the new facility needs the old images and whether obtaining them carries any fee, so the written quote reflects everything that will be billed for the visit.
The complete study without Doppler, 93307, also maps to APC 5523 at $243.77 in a hospital, with a global anchor of $135.37; CMS Addendum B lists 93307 and 93308 with status indicator S.
Inside and outside the 93308 anchor
Covered by the anchor
- Sonographer acquisition and measurements for the limited study
- Interpreting physician interpretation and written report
- Standard image storage
Billed outside it
- A complete study billed under 93306 instead
- The ordering visit and follow-up visit
- Contrast agent when used and billed separately in some settings
Why prices vary for CPT 93308
A limited echo pays below the complete study because fewer views and measurements are included. The setting still matters: a hospital bills the imaging APC plus the professional fee, while an office usually bills one global amount with the technical component inside it.
Ask whether the echo will be billed globally (office or imaging center) or split (hospital facility plus professional), and get the all-in cash quote for 93308 in writing.
Questions specific to Limited echocardiogram
- Is the order for a limited study (93308) or a complete one?
- If the scope changes to complete during the visit, which code will be billed?
- Is the interpreting cardiologist's fee in the quote?
- Is contrast for image quality included if used?
- If a comparison with an earlier study is needed, will that change the code or add a charge?
Echocardiogram Limited: billing questions
How much less is a limited echo than a complete one?
The code table on this page shows both. In a hospital, 93308 maps to APC 5523 and 93306 to APC 5524 in CY2026, and the office global anchors differ too.
Can a limited study turn into a complete one?
If more views are performed and documented, the code billed may change. Ask in advance what the facility does if the scope changes.
Is a follow-up echo always coded 93308?
Not always. The code follows what was performed. A follow-up that includes the complete set of elements can be billed as a complete study.
How much of the limited echo anchor is the cardiologist's reading?
For 93308, the CY2026 Michigan Locality 01 professional component is $24.94 out of a $99.23 global anchor. In a hospital the technical share is replaced by the facility payment, and the reading arrives as its own bill.