Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: If the cardiologist performs supervision and interpretation for a stress test performed on a patient under observation at a hospital, should I still report 93015?

Codify Member

Answer: You should report the codes that represent the specific services the cardiologist provided:

• 93016, Cardiovascular stress test using maximal or submaximal treadmill or bicycle exercise, continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, and/or pharmacological stress; physician supervision only, without interpretation and report
• 93018, ... interpretation and report only.

You should not report 93015 (...with physician supervision, with interpretation and report) because that is the global code representing the technical portion of the stress test as well as supervision, interpretation, and report. If the patient has the stress test in a facility, then the facility provides (and bills for) the technical portion of the test.