Cardiology Costs
Medicare benchmark rates for 4 common cardiology procedures, ranging from $18.74 to $799.85. Use these as a reference to check whether your bill is fair.
Understanding cardiology costs
Cardiology services such as echocardiograms and stress tests are often bundled procedures with both a technical component (the test) and a professional component (the interpretation). The most common billing problems are paying separately for components that should be billed globally, and being charged for an interpretation that overlaps with another service.
For cardiology services, commercial insurers typically pay between $22.49 and $1,599.70 across this category — roughly 1.2 to 2 times Medicare. If you were billed significantly more than the commercial range for your specific procedure, the excess may be negotiable.
Click any procedure above to see its detailed Medicare rate, the typical commercial range, and specific steps for disputing an overcharge.
Common billing problems with cardiology charges
Global service split into separately billed components
When a cardiac test is performed and read in the same facility, it is often billed globally. Separate technical and professional charges that exceed the global rate are worth reviewing.
Interpretation billed on top of a bundled visit
Some interpretations are already included in a related service. Confirm you are not being billed twice for the same read.
Facility fee for an office-based test
A test performed in a physician office should not usually carry a separate hospital facility fee. Question facility charges that do not match where the test was done.
How to push back on a cardiology charge
Request the itemized breakdown of technical versus professional charges and compare the total to the global Medicare benchmark for the procedure.
Rates shown are 2024 CMS Medicare national average payment rates and are provided for informational purposes only. Actual payments vary by geographic area, facility type, and payer contract. This is not medical or financial advice.