Medical Oncology Code Changes
ACOA Coding Minute
OPPS Brachytherapy C Codes
In addition to the Level 1 HCPCS codes (aka, CPT codes), hospitals also have to be certain that national Level 2 HCPCS codes are updated to the Charge Description Master (CDM). A subset of these Level 2 codes include ‘C’ codes that are reported for the radioactive source used for outpatient radiation therapy.
| C1716 |
Brachytherapy source, Gold 198, per source |
| C1717 |
Brachytherapy source, High Dose Rate Iridium 192, per source |
| C1718 |
Brachytherapy source, Iodine 125, per source |
| C1719 | |
| C1720 |
Brachytherapy source, Palladium 103, per source |
| C2616 |
Brachytherapy source, Yttrium-90, per source |
| C2632 |
Brachytherapy solution, Iodine125, per mCi |
| C2633 |
Brachytherapy source, Cesium-131, per source |
| C2634 | Brachytherapy source, High Activity, Iodine-125, greater than 1.01 mCi (NIST), per source |
| C2635 | |
| C2636 |
Brachytherapy linear source, Palladium-103, per 1MM |
In addition to the codes for the sources, there are codes to capture the number of needles and catheters used (i.e., C1728, C1715). While these particular codes do not result in additional reimbursement, CMS will use them for tracking to determine if payment for related APCs needs to be increased in the future.
For additional information, see: http://www.cms.hhs.gov
Watch for more 2005 coding changes in the upcoming months. Review previous Coding and Reimbursement Updates from the Academy’s Website.
This Coding and Reimbursement Update was prepared by:
Cindy C. Parman, CPC, CPC-H
Coding Strategies, Inc.
Phone: (877) 6CODING
Fax: (770) 445-0407
[email protected]
www.codingstrategies.com
Cindy C. Parman, CPC, CPC-H
principal and co-founder of Coding Strategies, Inc. in Atlanta, GA. Cindy is a current member of the Advisory Board for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and a faculty instructor for AMA Solutions, a subsidiary of the American Medical Association. She serves as the Consulting Editor of the Radiology Coding Alert and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of General Surgery Coding Alert and Pain Management Coding Alert.
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