Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: If the cardiologist supervises a stress test at the hospital and performs the interpretation, may I report both 93016 and 93018 or does one bundle in the other?

Idaho Subscriber

Answer: You may report both supervision code 93016 (Cardiovascular stress test using maximal or submaximal treadmill or bicycle exercise, continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, and/or pharmacological stress; supervision only, without interpretation and report) and interpretation code 93018 (Cardiovascular stress test using maximal or submaximal treadmill or bicycle exercise, continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, and/or pharmacological stress; interpretation and report only).

Note that you should not append modifier 26 (Professional component) to 93016 or 93018 because the codes are specific to professional services. In other words, the Medicare physician fee schedule does not divide these codes into both professional and technical components.

You are correct to report only the codes for the professional service for a test in the facility setting. The hospital will report the technical portion.