Is a strength and function test covered by insurance?
It depends on the write up. Plans pay 97750 when a separate report records measured strength, motion or endurance, and deny it as part of the exam when it does not. The code covers each fifteen minutes of hands on testing, with a written report that lives in the chart on its own.
Depends
Paid only with a separate report
15 minute units
97750 bills in fifteen minute blocks of face to face testing. The clock counts testing time only, not the treatment that happens around it.
Report or nothing
The report is part of the code, not paperwork around it. Numbers, what they mean and the plan going forward all have to be on paper.
Same day exam
Billed the same day as a new patient exam or a re evaluation, many payers fold it in and pay zero, even with the report attached.
Check the visit
Testing usually pulls from the same therapy benefit as treatment. One check before the appointment shows status and the deductible left so the desk can quote the day honestly.
What would a real check show for this patient's 97750?
Pick a sample plan and type your per-15 minute unit fee. This is the visibility a real-time check gives the desk for every actual patient, in under a second.
Eligibility readout · 97750
Sample- Coverage
- Active, $30 copay per therapy visit
- Frequency
- 20 therapy visits per year, 6 used
- Patient share
- Type your fee to see it
Estimate from a sample plan. A real check reads the actual plan in under a second.
When 97750 is the right code
- Strength, motion or endurance is measured with a tool
- A written report goes into the chart
- Testing time is tracked apart from treatment
- The result changes the plan of care
- The testing is not part of the day's exam
Documentation payers expect
Payers expect start and stop times, the measurements themselves, and an interpretation signed by the provider. A report that repeats the exam note without numbers is the usual reason a reviewer takes the money back.
97750 or its neighbors?
- 97750
- Measured strength or function with a report
- 95851
- Range of motion measured and reported
- 97110
- Guided exercise, treatment rather than testing
- 99202
- New patient exam that often includes testing
Picking the wrong neighbor is its own denial category. The chart decides, not the schedule.
Why 97750 gets denied
What happens after the testing visit
The report usually reshapes the plan of care, which means the next visits bill treatment codes like 97110 or 97140, each with its own patient share. If the office also measured joint motion, 95851 may sit on the same claim and get folded into the exam. Retesting at discharge brings 97750 back one more time. Since testing and treatment usually pull from the same therapy benefit, checking status and the remaining deductible first keeps the whole series priced honestly.
97750, quick answers
What is a physical performance test?
It is measured testing of strength, motion or endurance using a tool and a clock, written up as its own report. It is not the hands on exam at the start of a visit.
Does Medicare pay 97750 at a chiropractic office?
No. Medicare pays a chiropractor for spinal manipulation only, so testing like 97750 is not a covered service when a chiropractor bills it, even with a full written report.
Why was I charged for testing I did not know about?
Software in some offices adds testing codes to exam visits by default. Ask for the report, because if no separate report exists, the charge usually should not be there.
Can 97750 be billed for a functional capacity evaluation?
Yes. A full capacity evaluation is usually billed as several units of 97750 across a long session, and many plans want approval before that kind of testing.
Does testing use up my therapy visits?
Often yes. Many plans count testing against the same yearly therapy or rehabilitation limit as treatment, so a long testing session can eat visits you wanted for care.
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Related: 95851 · 97110 · 99202
CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. This page is Valian's own plain-English summary for front-desk teams, not official CPT descriptor text, and is not billing or clinical advice. Coverage patterns are common plan behaviors; every plan differs. Verify benefits before the visit.