CPT 93306: echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) with Doppler. What Medicare pays and what to ask
A heart ultrasound is a large line on many hospital bills. Here is what 93306 covers and what Medicare pays.
What this code means
CPT 93306 is a complete transthoracic echocardiogram: an ultrasound of the heart through the chest wall, with Doppler to show blood flow.
It is used to check the size of the heart, the valves and how well the heart pumps.
Why the bill can be much higher than the Medicare rate
The Medicare rate is the global amount: the technical part plus the cardiologist's reading. Bills often split them, so compare the total of both.
Hospital charges for imaging can come on top of the professional reading.
| If a line is billed at | It would be |
|---|---|
| 5x the Medicare rate | $983.65 |
| 10x the Medicare rate | $1,967.30 |
| 20x the Medicare rate | $3,934.60 |
The Medicare rate is a published benchmark, not a legal ceiling on what a provider may charge. Our free scan flags a line as worth a closer look when it is billed at more than 10 times the Medicare rate.
Questions worth asking before you pay
- Is the cardiologist's reading billed separately, and by whom?
- Was the study complete, and does the code match the report?
- Is the echocardiogram listed only once?
Check every line against the official Medicare rates in about a minute. The scan is free.
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Source: Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (CMS, July 2026 release), national payment amount, non-facility setting. Last updated October 2026. This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rates change each year and a hospital bill can include charges that the benchmark does not cover.