Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: Which codes should I use for CT angiograms? And how should I differentiate between them?

New Mexico subscriber

Answer: You should choose from several codes for CT angiograms, depending on the area of the body being studied. Below are the CPT codes for CTAs. Pay attention to the areas of the body listed in the descriptor.

70496 - Computed tomographic angiography, head, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing

70498 - Computed tomographic angiography, neck, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing

71275 - Computed tomographic angiography, chest, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing

72191 - Computed tomographic angiography, pelvis, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing

73206 - Computed tomographic angiography, upper extremity, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing

73706 - Computed tomographic angiography, lower extremity, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing

74175 - Computed tomographic angiography, abdomen, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing

75635 - Computed tomographic angiography, abdominal aorta and bilateral iliofemoral lower extremity runoff, radiological supervision and interpretation, without contrast material(s), followed by contrast material(s) and further sections, including image post-processing. Heads-up: Unless your cardiologist performs an image post-processing (2D, 3D, sagittal, coronal, or multiplanar reformatting), the exam is not a CTA - it's a standard CT.