Most Common Cardiology CPT Codes and Coding Guidelines

Do you find cardiology billing and coding overwhelming? No judgments! The specialty has its reputation of being complex, and so does the billing and coding workflow. Thus, making mistakes during claim creation is common if you don’t have certified professional coders (CPCs) or billing specialists in-house. 

But, regardless of how frequently mistakes in claims occur, it will negatively impact your practice’s revenue cycle and make it hard for you to keep functioning in the competitive healthcare landscape. 

Thus, in this comprehensive guide, we will discuss a list of cardiology CPT codes along with their brief descriptions. We will also share some best practices for cardiology billing and coding to help you ensure timely and higher reimbursements.

So, without delay let’s get into action!

Most Common Cardiology CPT Codes 2024

Here are the most common cardiology CPT codes:

CPT Code 33945 – Heart Transplantation Masterpiece

This cardiology CPT code encompasses the heart transplantation’s entire intricate process, including the removal of the recipient’s heart via cardiectomy and transplantation of a new heart.

CPT Code 33935 – Donor Cardiectomy Ballet

Cardiology billing code 33935 is used to report donor cardiectomy ballet. It covers the delicate procedure of removing the donor’s heart and preparing it for the new recipient. 

CPT Code 33533 – Coronary Artery Bypass Waltz

You may use this code to bill for coronary artery bypass waltz with the help of venous grafts. The procedure requires precision to redirect the heart’s circulation, ensuring a seamless blood flow.

CPT Code 93458 – Coronary Angiography Spotlight

93458 is a cardiology procedure code for coronary angiography in which intravascular ultrasound and imaging take center stage to visually explore the heart’s hidden chambers, helping the cardiologists in diagnosis and treatment plans.

CPT Code 92920 – Balloon Angioplasty Serenade

It is a cardiology CPT code that providers can use to bill balloon angioplasty for the widening of narrowed arteries for improved blood flow to ensure the heart’s rhythm remains seamless.

CPT Code 33206 – Atrial Pacemaker Sonata

This atrial pacemaker code covers the replacement or insertion of a permanent pacemaker to streamline the heart’s rhythm and maintain cardiac equilibrium.

CPT Code 93306 – Echo Melody in Real-Time

Providers can use cardiology procedure code 99306 to bill echo-melody in real time. This procedure captures the heart’s movements with Doppler imaging, M-mode, and a symphony of colors to provide insights into a patient’s heart for diagnosis purposes.

CPT Code 93015 – Cardiovascular Stress Test Drama

This procedure code covers continuous electrocardiographic monitoring in cardiovascular stress testing during exercise. Providers may use this technique to reveal the heart’s performance under stressful situations.

CPT Code 93224 – Holter Monitoring Revelation

It is related to Holter monitoring. It is a procedure performed to capture the heart’s performance over 48 hours. The electrocardiographic data recording helps cardiologists in identifying irregularities in a patient’s heart rhythm.

CPT Code 93010 – Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

93010 is a cardiology billing code related to electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) for billing the technical components, such as the equipment and test performance. It uses electrodes on the patient’s limbs, torso, and chest to record the heart’s electrical signals.

CPT Code 93000 – Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) Interpretation & Report

You may use this cardiology CPT code to report the interpretation and reporting of the ECG or EKG procedure by a qualified healthcare provider. It is related to the professional component of the procedure, documenting the cardiac health assessment.

CPT Code 93005 – Professional and Technical Component of EKG

It covers both the technical and professional components of the EKG procedure. It is a bundled code that you can use to report the equipment and performance of the procedure, coupled with its interpretation and reporting by a qualified healthcare provider.

CPT Code 93306 – Echocardiography

This cardiology CPT code is related to echocardiography. It is a non-invasive imaging technique that healthcare providers often use to assess the function and structure of the heart. This procedure utilizes sound waves to create real-time images of the heart’s blood flow patterns, valves, and chambers. Besides, it covers both the technical and professional components of the procedure.

CPT Code 93798 – Cardiovascular Stress Testing Interpretation & Report

You may use this cardiology CPT code to bill for the cardiovascular stress testing’s interpretation and reporting by a physician. It involves generating a detailed report and provider’s analysis to help in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular illnesses.

CPT Code 93325 – Doppler Echocardiography

93325 cardiology procedure code enables you to bill Doppler echocardiography. It is a specialized technique that utilizes ultrasound technology to analyze and assess the blood flow through the blood vessels and heart. The test results facilitate insights into the volume, direction, and speed of blood flow to help in diagnosing conditions such as cardiac defects, blood clots, and valve abnormalities. 

CPT Code 93296 – Permanent Pacemaker or ICD

It involves the programming and interrogation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or permanent pacemaker. These are electronic devices implanted in the chest, supporting the regulation of abnormal heart rhythms and prevention of life-threatening arrhythmias. The code interrogation part covers data retrieval from the implanted device to analyze its function. Contrarily, programming covers the optimization of device settings for optimal performance.

CPT Code 93015 – Cardiovascular Stress Test

You can use this code to report cardiovascular stress tests. It involves monitoring the electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and heart rate during physical exercises, such as using a stationary bike or a treadmill. This test enables healthcare providers to diagnose coronary artery disease and plan appropriate exercise routines for heart patients.

CPT Code 93018 – Rhythm EKG

This cardiology billing code involves monitoring heart activity over an extended period, e.g., 24 hours or more, using a specialized electrocardiogram called rhythm EKG. In this procedure, the patient wears a Holter monitor (a portable device) to continuously record the heart’s electrical signals, helping in the diagnosis and management of different cardiac rhythm disorders.

CPT Code 93017 – Cardiovascular Stress Testing With Pharmacological Agents

It is a cardiology CPT code to bill cardiovascular stress testing using pharmacological agents. The healthcare provider may order this procedure when the patient is unfit to perform exercise due to physical limitations. The administered medications in this stress test simulate exercise effects on the heart, such as increased blood flow and heart rate. The results enable physicians to identify cardiac abnormalities in patients.

Best Practices for Cardiology Billing & Coding

Cardiology is a complicated specialty, and its billing and coding follow suit. Thus, here are some best practices to ensure that your practice gets rightful reimbursements for the rendered care procedures and services. 

Implementing these best practices in your cardiology billing workflow will help you avoid unnecessary reworks and appeals to reverse claims denials, leading to a steady cash flow and improved financial health.

Verifying Patient’s Coverage Details

One of the errors that you can make while using cardiology billing codes is not verifying a patient’s insurance eligibility and coverage details before performing the specific procedure or service. This may result in claim denial, payment delays, or fewer reimbursements, straining your practice’s revenue cycle. 

Coding for Comorbidities

The patients that cardiologists see often have multiple diagnoses, known as comorbidity. These may include hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, and COPD. Thus, when it comes to cardiology billing codes, you should also report patient comorbidities to ensure higher reimbursements. However, while reporting multiple diagnoses, you must pay extra attention to the bundling of codes to avoid denials and payment delays. 

Appropriate Use of Modifiers

In cardiology billing and coding, modifiers play a significant role, providing additional details to the payer regarding what changes you made to the original service or procedure. Not using them correctly or missing them altogether may lead to payment delays, financial penalties, or even legal issues.

For instance, you may add modifier 25 if the provider determines the patient requires a stress test at the end of the encounter. Besides modifier 25, other common modifiers that you may use with cardiology CPT codes include:

• Modifier 53 – You can add this modifier if a specific procedure is discontinued.
• Modifier 52 – It identifies that the original service or procedure has been somehow reduced.
• Modifier 51 – It determines that multiple procedures were performed simultaneously.
• Modifier 22 – It is used when there is an increase in the procedure or service.

Using Diagnosis Coding

Another common issue in cardiology billing and coding is when you use cardiology billing codes to report the symptoms rather than the diagnosis or in addition to the diagnosis. However, you only need to report symptoms separately when the identified symptom is unrelated to the diagnosis.

Bottom Line

The most common cardiology CPT codes range from 33945 (for heart transplants) to 93017 (for cardiovascular stress testing through medications). With so many code sets and accompanying modifiers, cardiology coding and billing can become extremely challenging for overworked healthcare practitioners. 

You must pay close attention to the updated cardiology procedure codes, use correct modifiers, report comorbidities, mention diagnosis instead of symptoms, and double-check coverage details to avoid claim denials. By implementing industry best practices, you can improve your billing workflow. However, if you still struggle, hire a reputable medical billing company, like MediBill MD, for cardiology billing services.