Nerve conduction studies totaling five or six individual studies in a single session, with interpretation and report.
- Medicare
- $141.95
- Work RVU
- 1.46
- Global, days
- Region
- General
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Referral question and symptoms
- Each study by nerve and type
- Measured values with lab reference ranges
- Total of five or six studies
- Temperature
- Interpretation and diagnosis
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
95909 is for five or six nerve conduction studies. It is a common landing spot for a single-limb upper extremity workup that looks at both median and ulnar nerves, such as carpal tunnel with an ulnar comparison or a cubital tunnel question with inching across the elbow.
Count carefully. Median motor, median sensory, ulnar motor, ulnar sensory, a palmar mixed comparison, and a radial sensory study would be six. An F-wave recorded with the median motor study does not add a seventh. Inching studies along one nerve do not add studies.
Bill once per session with needle add-on codes as needed. Payers that use a maximum study table may question higher tiers for a single diagnosis, so if the exam expanded because of unexpected findings, the report should say what was found and why more nerves were tested.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (1.46) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (4.25) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 1.46 |
| Practice expense RVU | 2.72 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.07 |
| Total RVU | 4.25 |
| Medicare national rate | $141.95 |
| Global period | days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $141.95 |
HOPD (APC 5722) Hospital outpatient department | $220.60 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 95909 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Inching or multiple sites counted as extra studies
- Count exceeds the contractor's limit for the diagnosis without explanation
- Billed with 95860 to 95864
- Multiple units on one claim
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Do inching studies count as separate nerve conduction studies?
02What needle EMG code goes with 95909?
03Can 95909 be billed twice for both arms?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe documents the full symptom distribution, such as numbness in both median and ulnar fingers, so testing both nerves reads as necessary.
See how Mira captures CPT 95909 documentation