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CPT & HCPCS Codes

CPT 93306: Transthoracic Echo With Doppler, Complete

Reviewed by the ImmediCare RCM team Updated 3 min read
Quick answer

CPT 93306 reports a complete transthoracic echocardiogram with 2D and M-mode imaging, plus spectral Doppler AND color flow Doppler. It is the standard full heart ultrasound for cardiac function and valve assessment. In 2026 Medicare pays about $196.73 for the global service, split into a professional (modifier 26) and technical (modifier TC) component.

Code type
Transthoracic echo, complete, w/ spectral + color Doppler
2026 Medicare (global)
$196.73
Components
Professional (26) + Technical (TC); PC/TC indicator 1
Global period
XXX (concept does not apply)

What is CPT 93306 used for?

CPT 93306 reports a complete transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) with 2D and M-mode imaging, spectral Doppler, and color flow Doppler. It is the standard full heart ultrasound ordered for heart failure, murmur, valve disease, chest pain, arrhythmia, and cardiomyopathy. To bill 93306, the report must document all three modalities: 2D with M-mode, spectral Doppler, and color flow Doppler.

If Doppler is not performed, the complete-without-Doppler code is 93307. A follow-up or limited study is 93308. Choosing 93306 requires the full complete-plus-Doppler documentation to be present.

How much does 93306 pay in 2026, and how does the 26/TC split work?

The 2026 national Medicare allowed amount for the global study is about $196.73. With a PC/TC indicator of 1, the global fee divides into professional and technical components:

ComponentModifierCoversApprox. 2026
Professional26Cardiologist interpretation and report~$52
TechnicalTCUltrasound equipment, sonographer, overhead~$145
Global(none)Both, same entity~$196.73

The two components always sum to the global figure. Confirm your locality amount with the Medicare fee calculator.

Complete versus limited, and who bills each component

Example: a hospital outpatient echo lab performs a complete TTE with Doppler; a cardiologist reads it later. The hospital bills the technical resources through OPPS, and the cardiologist bills 93306-26 for about $52. A cardiology office that owns the machine and interprets its own studies bills the $196.73 global.

  1. Confirm the report documents 2D/M-mode, spectral Doppler, AND color Doppler before choosing 93306.
  2. In a hospital place of service, the physician appends modifier 26; the facility captures the technical side.
  3. Do not add 93320 or 93325 — the Doppler work is already bundled into 93306.
Documentation trap: the top 93306 denial is a "complete with Doppler" code on a report that never mentions color or spectral Doppler. If Doppler is not documented, drop to 93307; if the study is limited, use 93308.

How does 93306 fit the echocardiography family?

Transthoracic echo codes are chosen by completeness and whether Doppler is included.

  • 93306 — complete TTE with spectral and color Doppler.
  • 93307 — complete TTE without Doppler.
  • 93308 — follow-up or limited TTE.

The professional and technical split works the same across all three — see modifier 26 and modifier TC. For the routine electrocardiogram, which uses a code-based split instead of modifiers, see 93000.

Check your jurisdiction: Coverage, frequency, and documentation rules here reflect national guidance. Your MAC may enforce a different Local Coverage Determination — confirm your jurisdiction's active LCD before billing. Dollar amounts shown are national baselines; your locality's GPCI-adjusted rate will differ.

Frequently asked questions

The 2026 national Medicare allowed amount for the global complete transthoracic echo with Doppler is about $196.73. That global fee is the sum of the professional component (interpretation, modifier 26) and the technical component (equipment and sonographer, modifier TC). Medicare pays 80 percent after the deductible; the patient or secondary owes 20 percent.

Append modifier 26 when a cardiologist interprets an echo acquired elsewhere — the professional component. Append modifier TC when your facility owns the equipment and the sonographer performs the study but an outside physician reads it. Bill 93306 global only when the same entity both performs and interprets the echocardiogram.

93306 is a COMPLETE transthoracic echo that must include 2D with M-mode, spectral Doppler, AND color flow Doppler, all documented. 93308 is a follow-up or LIMITED study. If Doppler is not performed, the complete code without Doppler is 93307. Do not report the color/spectral Doppler add-ons (93320/93325) separately with 93306 — they are bundled into it.

IC

Reviewed by the ImmediCare Solutions RCM team

Certified billers and coders handling claims across 50+ specialties nationwide. This entry is reviewed against current payer policy and CMS rules. Last review: Jul 5, 2026.

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