Musculoskeletal Surgery · 20979

Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative)

What Medicare pays for 20979, what providers bill, and how the price varies across 2 states, drawn from CMS 2023 claims data.

20979 · the short answer

For low intensity ultrasound stimulation to aid bone healing, noninvasive (nonoperative), Medicare pays about $44.50 while providers bill $194.42 on average, a 4.4× markup, a below-median markup. State-level Medicare rates range 0% from lowest to highest.

Medicare pays
$44.50
Providers bill
$194.42
Markup
4.4×
Markup percentile
30th

Medicare amounts are CMS-published; markup = average submitted charge ÷ average Medicare payment.

Medicare Payment (avg)
$44.50
What Medicare actually pays
Billed Charge (avg)
$194.42
What providers submit
Markup
4.4x
337% above Medicare rate
98
Total Services
96
Beneficiaries
65
Providers
2
States with Data

Price Range Across States

Lowest State Avg
$46.06
Florida
Highest State Avg
$46.22
New York

What You Might Pay

Est. Commercial Insurance
$132.20
Range: $92.54 – $185.08
Est. Cash / Self-Pay
$97.73
Typical self-pay discount

Estimated using RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios. Actual prices vary by insurer, plan, and facility.

How we estimate these prices

These estimates are based on the RAND Hospital Price Transparency Study (4th Edition, 2024), which found that commercial insurance prices average 224% of Medicare rates nationally. We apply category-specific ratios: Musculoskeletal Surgery procedures average 2.24x Medicare rates. Cash/self-pay estimates blend typical cash discounts (55% of billed charges) with Medicare-based estimates (150% of allowed amounts). These are statistical estimates, not quotes. Contact your insurer or provider for actual costs.

Where this markup sits nationally

Markup (billed ÷ Medicare) across 8,901 procedures with a meaningful Medicare rate

4 more affordable than 30% of 8,901 procedures

1–2: 466 procedures (5%). Below this entry. 2–3: 681 procedures (8%). Below this entry. 3–4: 845 procedures (9%). Below this entry. 4–5: 1,308 procedures (15%). This entry sits in this band. 5–6: 1,725 procedures (19%). Above this entry. 6–7: 1,217 procedures (14%). Above this entry. 7–8: 801 procedures (9%). Above this entry. 8–9: 541 procedures (6%). Above this entry. 9–10: 351 procedures (4%). Above this entry. 10–11: 246 procedures (3%). Above this entry. 11–12: 151 procedures (2%). Above this entry. 12–13: 175 procedures (2%). Above this entry. 13–14: 140 procedures (2%). Above this entry. 14–15: 40 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 15–16: 39 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 16–17: 26 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 17–18: 25 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 18–19: 21 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 19–20: 12 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 20–21: 16 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 21–22: 13 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 22–23: 8 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 23–24: 9 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 24–25: 4 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 25–26: 3 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 26–27: 3 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 27–28: 4 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 28–29: 3 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 29–30: 2 procedures (0%). Above this entry. 30–31: 26 procedures (0%). Above this entry. this procedure 1 31 × markup, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more procedures. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners · 2023

Prices by State

State Medicare Payment Billed Charge
New York $46.22 $312.64
Florida $46.06 $159.70

What the Data Says About Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative)

Across 2 states with reporting providers, CPT code 20979 (Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative)) shows a national average Medicare payment of $44.50 against an average billed charge of $194.42. That gap, a 4.4x markup, or 337% above the Medicare allowed amount, is narrower than most procedures in our dataset, suggesting providers price this code closer to what payers actually reimburse.

Musculoskeletal Surgery procedures like this one saw 98 services billed to Medicare in 2023 by 65 distinct providers, serving 96 unique beneficiaries. State-level variation is significant: Florida reports the lowest average payment at $46.06, while New York reports the highest at $46.22. At just 0%, this procedure prices remarkably consistently nationwide, GPCI adjustments barely move the needle for this particular code.

Applying RAND 2024 commercial-to-Medicare ratios specific to the Musculoskeletal Surgery category (2.24x), the estimated commercial insurance price lands near $132.20, with self-pay cash discounts commonly bringing the figure closer to $97.73. Within Musculoskeletal Surgery, Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative) ranks #1382 of 1411 tracked procedures by national average Medicare payment.

What to do with this

If you may have low intensity ultrasound stimulation to aid bone healing, noninvasive (nonoperative) done, these steps turn the numbers above into a real-world cost estimate.

  • Request a Good Faith Estimate from your provider at least 3 business days before a scheduled procedure, under the No Surprises Act it is an enforceable written price.
  • Compare low intensity ultrasound stimulation to aid bone healing, noninvasive (nonoperative) costs in your state, Medicare rates vary by locality. Browse states
  • Check a hospital’s published cash price, which is often far below the billed charge. Price transparency
  • Understand why billed charges run several times the Medicare rate before you negotiate. Read the guide

Figures here are averages and estimates, not a quote. Confirm coverage and out-of-pocket costs with your insurer and provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative) cost?

Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative) (CPT 20979) is priced fairly consistently nationwide: Medicare pays $44.50 on average, and the $46.06-$46.22 state range stays relatively tight. Providers typically bill $194.42.

Why do providers charge more than Medicare pays?

Providers set their own chargemaster rates (billed charges), which are typically much higher than what any insurer pays. Medicare pays a fixed rate based on the procedure code and geographic location. The billed charge is relevant mainly for uninsured patients, who may face prices closer to the submitted charge.

How much does Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative) cost with insurance?

With commercial insurance, low intensity ultrasound stimulation to aid bone healing, noninvasive (nonoperative) costs an estimated $132.20 on average (range: $92.54-$185.08), a moderate premium over Medicare's $44.50. Without insurance, the estimated cash price is $97.73.

Which state has the lowest cost for Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative)?

Florida and New York bookend the range for Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative), at $46.06 and $46.22 respectively - a relatively tight $0.16 spread nationwide.

How many providers perform Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative)?

Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative) is comparatively uncommon: only 65 providers nationally billed Medicare for it in 2023, serving 96 beneficiaries via 98 total services.

What is the billed-to-Medicare markup for Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative)?

Providers bill 4.4x what Medicare pays for Low Intensity Ultrasound Stimulation To Aid Bone Healing, Noninvasive (nonoperative) - a below-median markup at 337% above the Medicare rate.

Related Guides

Negotiating Your Medical Bill

Tips to reduce out-of-pocket costs
Hospital Price Transparency

Your right to upfront pricing
Understanding Medicare Costs

How Medicare payments work
How to Read a Medical Bill

Decode charges and codes
Hospital Markup Explained

Why bills exceed actual costs
Why Costs Vary by State

Geographic pricing factors

Data from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners (2023).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from the CMS Medicare Physician and Other Practitioners dataset. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainProcedure Editorial

Every figure on PlainProcedure is rendered directly from CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on CMS Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.