Physicians serve as the cornerstone of patient care delivery across the United States. As primary caregivers, physicians significantly influence healthcare spending patterns through their procedural choices and equipment preferences.
Knowing which procedures are most commonly performed provides valuable insights into healthcare trends, resource allocation, and the overall health needs of the American population.
Recent data from Definitive Healthcare’s Atlas All-Payor Claims database offers a complete view of physician procedure volumes for 2024, analyzing claims data through November from multiple medical claims clearinghouses nationwide.
The undermentioned analysis reveals fascinating patterns in healthcare delivery, highlighting the predominance of routine care, the growing importance of rehabilitation services, and the significant cost variations across different types of medical procedures.
Foundation of Healthcare: Routine Patient Care
The data reveals a striking pattern that underscores the fundamental nature of healthcare delivery in America. The most common physician procedures are not complex surgeries or advanced diagnostic tests, but rather routine office visits that form the backbone of primary care. This finding emphasizes the critical role that ongoing patient-physician relationships play in maintaining population health and managing chronic conditions.
Complete Analysis: Top 25 Physician Procedures in 2024
The following table presents the complete ranking of the top 25 physician procedures based on percentage of total procedure volume nationwide:
| Rank | CPT Code | Description | % of Total Procedures | Average Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99214 | Outpatient visit w/ established patient, 30-39 min. | 5.04% | $261 |
| 2 | 99213 | Outpatient visit w/ established patient, <29 min. | 4.73% | $244 |
| 3 | 97110 | Therapeutic exercises | 3.44% | $89 |
| 4 | 97530 | Therapeutic activities | 2.78% | $94 |
| 5 | 99212 | Outpatient visit w/ established patient, minimal complexity | 2.65% | $198 |
| 6 | 97140 | Manual therapy techniques | 2.41% | $78 |
| 7 | 99215 | Outpatient visit w/ established patient, 40-54 min. | 2.23% | $324 |
| 8 | 97116 | Gait training | 1.98% | $82 |
| 9 | 99203 | New patient office visit, 30-44 min. | 1.87% | $312 |
| 10 | 97112 | Neuromuscular reeducation | 1.76% | $86 |
| 11 | 99204 | New patient office visit, 45-59 min. | 1.65% | $398 |
| 12 | 97535 | Self-care/home management training | 1.54% | $91 |
| 13 | 90999 | Unlisted dialysis procedures | 1.43% | $2,847 |
| 14 | 97113 | Aquatic therapy with exercises | 1.32% | $95 |
| 15 | 99202 | New patient office visit, 15-29 min. | 1.28% | $267 |
| 16 | 97161 | Physical therapy evaluation, low complexity | 1.21% | $156 |
| 17 | 97162 | Physical therapy evaluation, moderate complexity | 1.15% | $178 |
| 18 | 97163 | Physical therapy evaluation, high complexity | 1.09% | $203 |
| 19 | 97014 | Electrical stimulation (unattended) | 1.04% | $45 |
| 20 | 97012 | Mechanical traction | 0.98% | $52 |
| 21 | 97018 | Paraffin bath | 0.94% | $38 |
| 22 | 97010 | Hot or cold packs | 0.89% | $35 |
| 23 | 97124 | Massage therapy | 0.85% | $67 |
| 24 | 97033 | Iontophoresis | 0.81% | $58 |
| 25 | 97035 | Ultrasound therapy | 0.78% | $49 |
Office Visits Dominate the Landscape
The two most frequently billed procedures in 2024 were CPT codes 99214 and 99213, representing established patient office visits of different durations and complexity levels. Together, these two codes account for nearly 10% of all physician procedures nationwide, demonstrating the enormous volume of routine care being delivered across the healthcare system.
CPT code 99214 represents visits lasting 30-39 minutes that involve moderate levels of medical decision-making and care complexity. These visits typically address multiple health concerns or chronic conditions requiring ongoing management. At an average charge of $261, these visits represent a significant portion of healthcare spending while providing essential continuity of care.
The second-ranked procedure, CPT 99213, covers shorter visits of less than 29 minutes that require minimal levels of care and decision-making. These visits often involve routine follow-ups, medication checks, or addressing single, straightforward health concerns. With an average charge of $244, these visits provide accessible, efficient care for patients with less complicated needs.
Rise of Rehabilitation Services
Beyond routine office visits, the data reveals the growing importance of physical therapy and rehabilitation services in modern healthcare. This trend reflects several key factors in contemporary medicine: an aging population, increased survival rates from serious injuries and illnesses, and a greater emphasis on functional recovery and quality of life.
Physical Therapy Takes Center Stage
Physical therapy procedures occupy prominent positions in the top physician procedures, with therapeutic exercises (CPT 97110) ranking third at 3.44% of all procedures and therapeutic activities (CPT 97530) ranking fourth at 2.78%. Combined, these rehabilitation services account for over 6% of all physician procedures, highlighting their integral role in modern healthcare delivery.
Therapeutic exercises encompass a broad range of activities designed to improve strength, endurance, flexibility, and range of motion. These procedures are essential components of recovery from surgery, injury, or illness, helping patients regain function and prevent further complications. The relatively modest average charge of $89 makes these services accessible while providing significant value in terms of functional improvement and quality of life enhancement.
Therapeutic activities represent a more dynamic approach to rehabilitation, involving complex movements that simulate real-world activities such as climbing stairs, lifting objects, or performing job-related tasks. These procedures help bridge the gap between basic therapeutic exercises and full functional recovery, preparing patients to return to their normal activities of daily living.
Basics of Medical Procedure Coding
The foundation of medical billing and reimbursement rests on a standardized system of procedure codes known as Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. These numerical identifiers serve multiple critical functions within the healthcare ecosystem, enabling consistent communication between providers, payors, and regulatory bodies.
CPT codes provide healthcare professionals with a universal language for describing medical services, ensuring that procedures are accurately documented and appropriately reimbursed. This standardization facilitates not only billing processes but also quality measurement, outcomes tracking, and healthcare policy development. For healthcare administrators, proper coding is essential for receiving appropriate reimbursement and maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements.
The codes encompass virtually every aspect of patient care, from initial consultations and diagnostic procedures to complex surgeries and ongoing treatment protocols. Each code includes specific criteria regarding duration, complexity, and clinical decision-making requirements, ensuring that providers can accurately capture the intensity and scope of services provided.
Economics of Common Procedures
While the most common procedures tend to have relatively modest charges, the sheer volume of these services creates significant economic impact across the healthcare system. The data reveals interesting patterns in pricing that reflect the complexity, resource requirements, and specialized nature of different medical services.
Routine Care Efficiency
The pricing structure for the most common procedures reflects the healthcare system’s emphasis on efficiency and accessibility. Office visits, despite their high frequency, maintain relatively reasonable charges that support sustainable primary care delivery. This pricing approach enables healthcare systems to provide essential services while maintaining financial viability.
The average charges for routine office visits ($244-$261) represent a balance between provider compensation, overhead costs, and patient accessibility. These charges support the infrastructure necessary for high-quality primary care while remaining within reach for most patients and insurance plans.
Rehabilitation Value Proposition
Physical therapy procedures demonstrate exceptional value in the healthcare ecosystem, with charges ranging from $89-$94 per session. These relatively modest fees provide access to specialized care that can prevent more expensive interventions, reduce long-term disability, and improve patient outcomes. The cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation services makes them an attractive option for both patients and payors seeking to optimize health outcomes while managing expenses.
High-Cost Outliers in Common Procedures
While most common procedures maintain reasonable charges, the data reveals significant outliers that highlight the diversity and intricacy of modern medical care. These exceptions provide insight into specialized areas of medicine that require substantial resources, equipment, and expertise.
Dialysis: A Financial and Clinical Challenge
The most striking outlier in the common procedures list is CPT code 90999 for unlisted dialysis procedures, which ranks 13th by volume but commands the highest average charge at $2,847 per procedure. This dramatic difference in pricing reflects the unique resource requirements of dialysis care, including specialized equipment, single-use supplies, highly trained staff, and dedicated facilities.
Dialysis represents one of the most resource-intensive areas of routine medical care, requiring significant capital investment and ongoing operational costs. The high average charge reflects not only the direct costs of treatment but also the infrastructure needed to support patients with end-stage renal disease. This pricing structure underscores the financial challenges facing both healthcare systems and patients dealing with chronic kidney disease.
Summary: Top 25 Physician Procedures and their CPT Code
The analysis of the top 25 physician procedures in 2024 reveals a healthcare system that continues to prioritize routine care, rehabilitation services, and patient accessibility. The dominance of office visits and physical therapy procedures reflects the fundamental role of ongoing patient-provider relationships and the growing importance of functional recovery in modern medicine.
These findings underscore the need for continued investment in primary care infrastructure, rehabilitation services, and efficient care delivery models. Knowing these procedural patterns will be essential for developing policies and practices that support both high-quality care and financial sustainability.
The data also highlights the diversity of healthcare needs across the population, from routine preventive care to chronic disease management. This diversity requires flexible, in-depth healthcare systems that can efficiently deliver a wide range of services and maintain focus on the most common and impactful procedures.
The continued analysis of procedure trends will be essential for adapting to changing healthcare needs and ensuring that the American healthcare system remains responsive to patient needs while maintaining financial sustainability and clinical excellence.