HCPCS and CPT code descriptor changes and deletion of temporary HCPCS C-codes for certain drugs, biologicals and radiopharmaceuticals

In addition to the new HCPCS codes, drugs, biologicals, and radiopharmaceuticals, many of the current HCPCS codes for drugs, biologicals, and radiopharmaceuticals have undergone changes in their code descriptors for CY 2019. Therefore, hospitals should exercise caution in the reporting for units of service to ensure that the units are consistent with the dosages contained in the HCPCS long descriptor. Additionally, several of the temporary HCPCS C-codes were deleted and replaced with permanent HCPCS codes. The CY 2019 HCPCS and CPT code changes for Certain Drugs, Biologicals, and Radiopharmaceuticals are listed below. CY 2018 HCPCS Code CY 2018 Long...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AHA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article reviews Medicare coding updates affecting HCPCS and CPT reporting for certain drugs, biologicals, and radiopharmaceuticals in CY 2019. It is relevant to hospital coders, billing staff, and compliance teams who need to track descriptor revisions, temporary code deletions, and code replacements across these product categories. The article presents the affected code changes in a side-by-side format to support code-set review and reporting accuracy.

Why This Topic Matters

Descriptor changes and temporary code replacement can affect charge capture, unit reporting, and code mapping in hospital claims workflows. Reviewing these updates helps coding and billing teams align internal systems with the current HCPCS and CPT structure.

Article Sections

  1. CY 2018 HCPCS Code / CY 2018 Long Descriptor / CY 2019 HCPCS Code / CY 2019 Long Descriptor

    A tabular comparison of selected drug, biological, and radiopharmaceutical code updates for CY 2019. The section highlights descriptor revisions and replacements across the affected HCPCS and CPT items.

What You Will Learn

  • Which categories of drug-related codes were updated for CY 2019
  • How the article organizes HCPCS and CPT code changes for comparison
  • Which types of reporting considerations are associated with descriptor updates and code replacements
  • Which product areas are included in the annual update review

Who Should Read This

  • Hospital coders
  • Inpatient and outpatient billing staff
  • Revenue cycle professionals
  • Compliance teams
  • Charge capture teams

Codes Discussed


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