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    v1.0.28
    OpenPayerBilling CodesNew or Established PatientCPT cpt-99244-outpatient-consultation-moderate-complexity-40-minutes
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    CPT 99244: Outpatient Consultation, Moderate Complexity

    Commercial payers pay $200 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 99244 describes an office or other outpatient consultation visit with a moderate level of medical decision making or when the provider spends at least 40 minutes of total time on the encounter; the service type is an evaluation and management consultation typically performed in an office or outpatient clinic setting for new or established patients requiring focused specialty evaluation.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT)/Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography (CCTA), Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment, Biomarkers for Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Heart Failure.

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    National Reimbursement Benchmarks

    Across national commercial payers, average commercial (BUCA) sits at $200.30, positioning it near the center of the payer mix. UnitedHealth Group posts the highest central tendency with a median of $230.90 and a mean of $256.00, while Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean is $194.00 and Cigna’s mean is $207.80. Aetna’s mean is lower at $162.30. Maximum rates vary notably, with UnitedHealth Group reaching $562.70 and Cigna $477.20, highlighting potential outliers at the top end.

    Dispersion (P75 minus P25) is tightest for Blue Cross Blue Shield at $61.30 (P75 $217.90 minus P25 $156.60), suggesting more consistent contracted rates, while Cigna shows the widest interquartile spread at $116.70 (P75 $261.50 minus P25 $144.80). UnitedHealth Group also exhibits substantial dispersion of $141.00 (P75 $315.60 minus P25 $174.60), indicating greater variability in mid-range commercial payments.

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    National Payer Mean Reimbursement Rates

    State Reimbursement Rates

    State: Alaska1 / 51

    Rate by payer

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 46-year-old established female patient presents to an outpatient specialty clinic for a consultation regarding recurrent headaches, intermittent abdominal pain, and persistent fatigue. The referring primary care clinician requested specialist evaluation to determine etiology and to advise on diagnostic testing and management. The consulting physician performs a comprehensive history and examination, reviews prior records and medication lists, orders targeted laboratory testing and imaging, and documents a moderate level of medical decision making. The encounter lasts at least 40 minutes of total time on the date of service and is coded as a consultation visit.

    The clinical workflow includes: referral receipt and review of prior records; pre-visit chart preparation; face-to-face evaluation including focused systems review (neurologic, abdominal, and systemic), problem-focused physical exam, and discussion of differential diagnoses (e.g., primary headache disorder, gastrointestinal etiologies, and fatigue-related causes); ordering of labs/imaging (e.g., CBC, metabolic panel, abdominal ultrasound, or brain imaging as indicated); counseling regarding next steps; and preparation of a written consultation note and communication back to the referring clinician. Typical documentation supports either moderate medical decision making or ≥40 minutes total time to justify the consultation code.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    99243New or established patient office or other outpatient consultation involving evaluation and management at a lower level.

    Related Modifiers

    11 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    25CPT modifier 25 indicates that on the same day as another procedure or service, the same physician or other qualified health care professional provided a significant, separately identifiable…- When to apply: Use modifier 25 only on an E/M code to indicate the same provider delivered a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another procedure or service — i.e.,…
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    57CPT® modifier -57 (“Decision for Surgery”) is appended to an Evaluation and Management (E/M) service when that encounter results in the initial decision to perform a major surgery (a procedure with a…- Use modifier 57 when an E/M service provided by the same provider (or same tax ID) on the day of or the day before a major surgical procedure (90‑day global period) results in the initial decision…
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    24Modifier 24 denotes an unrelated evaluation and management (E/M) service performed by the same physician or qualified healthcare professional during a postoperative global period. Per CPT guidance,…- Use modifier 24 when you report an evaluation and management (E/M) service performed by the same physician or same-specialty group during a procedure’s postoperative global period that is unrelated…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    95Modifier 95 indicates that a service was provided via synchronous, real‑time audio‑video telehealth rather than in‑person. Per CMS, AAPC and professional associations, append modifier 95 to claim…- Use modifier 95 to indicate a service was furnished via synchronous, real‑time audiovisual telehealth (a live audio‑video conference between patient and provider) rather than in‑person. - Pair…
    50Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…

    Showing 1–10 of 11

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy CodeSpecialtyNotes
    207R00000XInternal Medicine PhysicianA physician who provides long-term, comprehensive care in the office and the hospital, managing both common and complex illness of adolescents, adults…
    208D00000XGeneral Practice PhysicianA physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
    207Q00000XFamily Medicine PhysicianFamily Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadt…
    208000000XPediatrics PhysicianA pediatrician is concerned with the physical, emotional and social health of children from birth to young adulthood. Care encompasses a broad spectru…
    207V00000XObstetrics & Gynecology PhysicianAn obstetrician/gynecologist possesses special knowledge, skills and professional capability in the medical and surgical care of the female reproducti…
    2251P0200XPediatric Physical TherapistA licensed physical therapist, including but not limited to an individual who is a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy, who has d…
    342000000XTransportation Network CompanyA ride-sharing company that provides prearranged or contracted non-emergency medical transportation services to patients through mobile or online tech…
    207RI0200XInfectious Disease PhysicianAn internist who deals with infectious diseases of all types and in all organ systems. Conditions requiring selective use of antibiotics call for this…

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    30 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    E11.9Type 2 diabetes mellitus without complications
    E66.9Obesity, unspecified
    E78.5Hyperlipidemia, unspecified
    F33.1Major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate
    F41.9Anxiety disorder, unspecified
    G43.909Migraine, unspecified, not intractable, without status migrainosus
    H25.9Unspecified age-related cataract
    H81.13Benign paroxysmal vertigo, bilateral
    I10Essential (primary) hypertension
    I25.10Atherosclerotic heart disease of native coronary artery without angina pectoris

    Showing 1–10 of 30

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Cardiology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT)/Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography (CCTA)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Cardiovascular Disease Risk AssessmentOscar Health2026-10-01
    Biomarkers for Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Heart FailureOscar Health2026-10-01
    Multiple Procedure Payment Reduction for Diagnostic Cardiovascular ProceduresBlue Cross Blue Shield - Maine2026-10-01
    Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessmentblue cross blue shield - louisiana2026-09-15
    Cardiovascular Disease Risk AssessmentBlue Cross Blue Shield - New Mexico2026-09-04
    Computed Tomography to Detect Coronary Artery CalcificationBluecross Idaho2026-09-01
    Intracoronary Drug Delivery Balloon ProceduresBlue Cross Blue Shield - Rhode Island2026-09-01
    Cardiac Imaging Guidelinesevicore2026-09-01
    Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device for Stroke PreventionAmbetter Georgia2026-08-26

    Related Codes

    CPT-99281-EMERGENCY-DEPARTMENT-MINOR-VISIT

    CPT 99281: Emergency Department Visit, Minimal Complexity

    CPT-99282-EMERGENCY-DEPARTMENT-EVALUATION-STRAIGHTFORWARD-DECISION-MAKING

    CPT 99282: Emergency Department Visit, Straightforward Complexity

    CPT-99283-EMERGENCY-DEPARTMENT-EVALUATION-LOW-DECISION-MAKING

    CPT 99283: Emergency Department E/M Visit, Low Complexity

    CPT-99284-EMERGENCY-DEPARTMENT-EVALUATION-MODERATE-COMPLEXITY

    CPT 99284: Emergency Department Visit, Moderate Complexity

    CPT-99285-EMERGENCY-DEPARTMENT-EVALUATION-HIGH-DECISION-MAKING

    CPT 99285: Emergency Department Visit, High Complexity

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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    Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

    Lower-complexity alternative when decision making or time is less than required for 99244.
    99245New or established patient office or other outpatient consultation involving evaluation and management at a higher level.Higher-complexity alternative when decision making or time exceeds requirements for 99244.