Vermont had the lowest rate of cardiac stress tests performed before low-risk outpatient procedures between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, according to CMS data released Feb. 19.
CMS measures the percentage of cardiac stress tests performed for eligible Medicare patients undergoing low-risk outpatient surgical procedures as an indicator of imaging efficiency.
Higher percentages may indicate the imaging department is performing more imaging than necessary.
The national efficiency rate of cardiac stress tests performed before low-risk outpatient procedures between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, was 3.7.
Here are the imaging efficiency rates for cardiac stress tests by state:
| State | Rate |
| Alabama | 3.4 |
| Alaska | 4.3 |
| Arizona | 3.8 |
| Arkansas | 3 |
| California | 3.9 |
| Colorado | 3.8 |
| Connecticut | 4.4 |
| Delaware | 3 |
| District of Columbia | 4.8 |
| Florida | 4.2 |
| Georgia | 4.1 |
| Hawaii | 3.3 |
| Idaho | 3.3 |
| Illinois | 3.7 |
| Indiana | 3.5 |
| Iowa | 2.9 |
| Kansas | 3.6 |
| Kentucky | 3.3 |
| Louisiana | 3.9 |
| Maine | 3.4 |
| Maryland | 4.6 |
| Massachusetts | 4.1 |
| Michigan | 3.5 |
| Minnesota | 4.3 |
| Mississippi | 3.8 |
| Missouri | 3.3 |
| Montana | 3 |
| Nebraska | 3.1 |
| Nevada | 2.6 |
| New Hampshire | 3.3 |
| New Jersey | 4.4 |
| New Mexico | 3.2 |
| New York | 4.8 |
| North Carolina | 3.2 |
| North Dakota | 3.2 |
| Ohio | 3.4 |
| Oklahoma | 3.1 |
| Oregon | 2.9 |
| Pennsylvania | 3.7 |
| Rhode Island | 3.9 |
| South Carolina | 3.4 |
| South Dakota | 3.3 |
| Tennessee | 3.2 |
| Texas | 3.7 |
| Utah | 3.8 |
| Vermont | 2.5 |
| Virginia | 3.3 |
| Washington | 3.4 |
| West Virginia | 2.8 |
| Wisconsin | 3.7 |
| Wyoming | 3.3 |
