Cardiac Stress Test (93015-93018)
CPT codes for cardiac stress testing, with separate codes for the global service, supervision, and interpretation.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Billing
- Primary sources
- 1
- Workspace handoff
- ask d3 →
Where this comes up
This shows up in revenue-cycle work — claim scrubbing, charge entry, posting, A/R follow-up, and month-end close. Billers and practice managers hit this term when reconciling a payment, working a denial queue, or auditing why a claim aged past 60 days.
Full definition
What it is in practice
93015 = global (with supervision and report); 93016 = supervision only; 93017 = tracing only; 93018 = interpretation and report only. Used together to apportion when different providers perform components.
How it shows up in your practice
Confirm who performed each component. Misuse of 93015 when only interpretation was done is an audit finding.
Sources
- CMS — Physician Fee Schedulehttps://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-schedules/physician
Confirm cardiac stress test billing in Ask D3
Open ask d3 →Related terms
- BillingProfessional ComponentThe portion of a procedure code (designated by modifier 26) representing the physician's interpretation or supervision, separate from the technical component.
- BillingTechnical ComponentThe portion of a procedure code (designated by modifier TC) representing equipment, supplies, and technical staff used to perform a service.
- CodingMedical NecessityThe standard requiring that services be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryProfessional ComponentThe portion of a procedure code (designated by modifier 26) representing the physician's interpretation or supervision, separate from the technical component.
- GlossaryTechnical ComponentThe portion of a procedure code (designated by modifier TC) representing equipment, supplies, and technical staff used to perform a service.
- GlossaryMedical NecessityThe standard requiring that services be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member.
- GlossaryCharge CaptureThe process of identifying and recording every billable service furnished during a patient encounter.
- GlossaryClean Claim RatePercentage of claims accepted by the payer on first submission without edits or rejections.
- GlossaryConversion FactorThe dollar value multiplied by the geographically-adjusted Relative Value Unit to determine the Medicare-allowable amount for a service.
- GlossaryDays in Accounts ReceivableAverage number of days from claim submission to payment, calculated as (total A/R) ÷ (average daily charges).
- BillingAWV + Problem Visit Same Day: How to Bill CorrectlyYes, you can bill AWV and a problem visit the same day. Here's how to do it correctly with modifier -25.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.