CPT 93308: Echo, follow-up
What this code means, what it should cost, and how to dispute an overcharge.
Fair Price Reference
What is CPT 93308?
CPT 93308 (Echo, follow-up) is a cardiology billing code defined by the American Medical Association. It's used to bill your insurance or you directly for this service.
What CPT 93308 should cost
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays approximately $183 for CPT 93308 under the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule. This is what the federal government has determined is a reasonable payment for this service.
Private insurance typically pays 1.2–1.8x Medicare rates ($220–$329). Hospital chargemaster prices for CPT 93308 often range from $300 to $1000 — a markup of 1.6x to 5.5x over Medicare.
Common overcharges on CPT 93308
Unbundling complete ECGs (93000) into separate tracing (93005) + interpretation (93010) charges. Charging for preventive services (like routine ECGs) that are covered at 100% under the ACA.
About Cardiology billing
Cardiology procedures are frequently overcharged through facility-fee stacking — where the same test at a hospital-owned imaging center costs 3–5x what it does at an independent cardiology practice.
Compare hospital charges against the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and FAIR Health's regional benchmarks. Request site-of-service transparency.
How to dispute a CPT 93308 overcharge
- Request the itemized bill. You are entitled to a detailed line-by-line bill showing every CPT code billed. Ask in writing.
- Compare to Medicare allowable. If the charge exceeds 150% of Medicare ($275), you have grounds to dispute.
- Request documentation. For E&M codes, ask for the visit note. For procedures, ask for the operative report. The documentation must justify the code billed.
- Send a formal dispute letter. Cite the specific discrepancy between the documentation and the code. Reference Medicare rates and NCCI edits where applicable.
- Follow up in writing. Give the provider 30 days to respond. If they don't, escalate to the state attorney general and insurance commissioner.
Got CPT 93308 on your bill?
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