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CPT 0878T: CT Image Analysis for Interstitial Lung Disease Classification

CPT code 0878T represents a software-assisted analysis of chest CT imaging to classify interstitial lung disease. As imaging-based phenotyping and quantitative analysis tools become more integrated into clinical workflows, this code captures a distinct, reportable service that augments the diagnostic information from the contemporaneous CT scan. The designation matters nationally because it provides a billing pathway for advanced image analysis that supports diagnosis, staging, and management planning for patients with suspected or known interstitial lung disease.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise review of the clinical context for image-based classification of interstitial lung disease, an outline of common payer consideration topics for new imaging analytics services, and an explanation of what is typically included in the billed service versus the concurrent CT examination. The publication also summarizes typical sites of service and service type to aid in coding and billing workflow alignment.

This piece is intended to inform billing managers, radiology leaders, and policy analysts about the role of CPT code 0878T in documenting and reimbursing specialized chest CT analysis, and what to expect when implementing or reviewing claims that include this code.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 0878T describes a service in which the provider uses a specialized software program to analyze chest computed tomography (CT) imaging to classify interstitial lung disease. The CT examination is performed concurrently and is separately reportable.

Service type: Image analysis/advanced diagnostic interpretation
Typical site of service: Outpatient radiology or advanced imaging center; may also be provided in hospital radiology departments

Data not available in the input.

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CPT 0878T: CT Image Analysis for Interstitial Lung Disease Classification

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Image analysis/advanced diagnostic interpretation
Typical site of service: Outpatient radiology or advanced imaging center; may also be provided in hospital radiology departments

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old patient with progressive exertional dyspnea and nonproductive cough is referred by a pulmonologist for advanced imaging analysis to aid classification of suspected interstitial lung disease (ILD). The patient undergoes a diagnostic high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) in an outpatient radiology suite or hospital outpatient imaging center. The imaging study is acquired by the radiology team; the provider submits 0878T for use of a specialized software program that analyzes the chest CT to classify ILD patterns (for example usual interstitial pneumonia, nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, organizing pneumonia, or other fibrotic patterns). The CT acquisition is reported separately with the appropriate CT chest CPT code and includes technical components handled by radiology technologists. The specialized program’s interpretation is integrated into the multidisciplinary discussion and clinical decision-making by pulmonology, radiology, and, when applicable, thoracic surgery. Typical sites of service include outpatient imaging centers, hospital outpatient departments, and ambulatory surgical centers when performed as part of pre-procedural evaluation. Common clinical workflow steps: scheduling and preauthorization (if required by payer), CT acquisition, image transfer to the analytic software, software-based analysis and report generation by the interpreting provider, incorporation of results into the final radiology report, and communication to the referring pulmonologist or multidisciplinary ILD team.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the analytic interpretation required substantially greater work or documentation than typical for the service.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the analytic service was partially reduced or not completed as originally planned.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the analytic process was started but terminated due to patient or technical factors prior to completion.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period	Rare for this service; use only if unplanned re-intervention related to the analytic procedure occurs intra- or post-procedurally.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use if a recognized assistant surgeon or qualified individual performed portions of the technical or analytic procedure as allowed by payer policy.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when a qualified resident surgeon is unavailable)	Use when an assistant provided services and an approved resident was unavailable.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for surgical care only	Use if an advanced practice provider performed billable elements of the analytic procedure under applicable supervision rules and payer accepts `AS`.
`TG`	Treatment of the patient by a resident under the primary care exception (Medicare GME) — tracking modifier	Use when applicable for resident involvement per institutional billing rules and payer policy.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2084P0800X	Pulmonary Disease	Pulmonologists order and interpret ILD classification results and integrate findings into clinical management.
207R00000X	Radiology	Diagnostic radiologists perform HRCT acquisition and interpret images; they often review and co-sign software-generated analyses.
207L00000X	Diagnostic Radiology (Thoracic Imaging)	Subspecialty radiologists in thoracic imaging frequently oversee advanced analytic interpretation for ILD.
363A00000X	Clinical Laboratory	Clinical informatics or imaging analysts may manage software platforms and quality control; listed when applicable.
2086S0125X	Pulmonology Critical Care	Pulmonology-critical care physicians participate in multidisciplinary ILD evaluation for complex or hospitalized patients.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`J84.114`	Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis	A common fibrotic ILD where CT pattern classification directly affects diagnosis and management.
`J84.10`	Pulmonary fibrosis, unspecified	Used when fibrosis is identified and CT-based classification helps narrow subtype and guide care.
`J84.112`	Pulmonary sarcoidosis	Sarcoidosis can produce interstitial patterns assessed by CT analytic tools to differentiate from other ILDs.
`J84.89`	Other specified interstitial pulmonary diseases	Captures a range of ILD entities for which advanced CT classification aids diagnosis.
`J84.2`	Pulmonary eosinophilia, not elsewhere classified	Includes interstitial processes where CT pattern analysis contributes to differential diagnosis.
`R91.8`	Other nonspecific abnormal finding of lung field	Often used when CT identifies indeterminate findings requiring further classification by analytic software.
`J98.4`	Other disorders of lung, not elsewhere classified	A broader code used when CT analysis supports evaluation of atypical interstitial or parenchymal abnormalities.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`71250`	Computed tomography, thorax; without contrast material	Often billed for the chest CT acquisition that provides images for the analytic program; reported separately from `0878T`.
`71260`	Computed tomography, thorax; with contrast material(s)`	Billed when IV contrast is administered for chest CT performed in conjunction with the analytic classification, if clinically indicated.
`71270`	Computed tomography, thorax; without contrast material, followed by contrast material and further sections	Billed when both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced phases are acquired; images may be used by analytic software.
`76376`	3D rendering with interpretation and reporting of CT, MRI, ultrasound, or other tomographic modality; simple	May be used when additional post-processing or 3D reconstruction supplements the ILD analytic report.
`94640`	Pressurized or non-pressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction, initial treatment	Included as an example of downstream respiratory therapy procedures in acutely symptomatic patients evaluated for ILD; useful in workflow when respiratory compromise is present.
`31628`	Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, with transbronchial lung biopsy, single lobe	Performed in some ILD workups when tissue diagnosis is required; typically performed after imaging and analytic classification informs need for biopsy.

CPT 0877T: Chest CT Image Analysis for Interstitial Lung Disease Classification

CPT-0879T-CHEST-CT-IMAGE-PREPARATION-TRANSMISSION-ILD-CLASSIFICATION

CPT 0879T: Chest CT Preparation and Transmission for ILD Classification

CPT-0880T-CHEST-CT-INTERSTITIAL-LUNG-DISEASE-INTERPRETATION-REPORT

CPT 0880T: Chest CT Interpretation and Report for Interstitial Lung Disease

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

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Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the analytic interpretation required substantially greater work or documentation than typical for the service.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the analytic service was partially reduced or not completed as originally planned.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the analytic process was started but terminated due to patient or technical factors prior to completion.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period	Rare for this service; use only if unplanned re-intervention related to the analytic procedure occurs intra- or post-procedurally.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use if a recognized assistant surgeon or qualified individual performed portions of the technical or analytic procedure as allowed by payer policy.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when a qualified resident surgeon is unavailable)	Use when an assistant provided services and an approved resident was unavailable.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for surgical care only	Use if an advanced practice provider performed billable elements of the analytic procedure under applicable supervision rules and payer accepts `AS`.
`TG`	Treatment of the patient by a resident under the primary care exception (Medicare GME) — tracking modifier	Use when applicable for resident involvement per institutional billing rules and payer policy.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2084P0800X	Pulmonary Disease	Pulmonologists order and interpret ILD classification results and integrate findings into clinical management.
207R00000X	Radiology	Diagnostic radiologists perform HRCT acquisition and interpret images; they often review and co-sign software-generated analyses.
207L00000X	Diagnostic Radiology (Thoracic Imaging)	Subspecialty radiologists in thoracic imaging frequently oversee advanced analytic interpretation for ILD.
363A00000X	Clinical Laboratory	Clinical informatics or imaging analysts may manage software platforms and quality control; listed when applicable.
2086S0125X	Pulmonology Critical Care	Pulmonology-critical care physicians participate in multidisciplinary ILD evaluation for complex or hospitalized patients.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`J84.114`	Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis	A common fibrotic ILD where CT pattern classification directly affects diagnosis and management.
`J84.10`	Pulmonary fibrosis, unspecified	Used when fibrosis is identified and CT-based classification helps narrow subtype and guide care.
`J84.112`	Pulmonary sarcoidosis	Sarcoidosis can produce interstitial patterns assessed by CT analytic tools to differentiate from other ILDs.
`J84.89`	Other specified interstitial pulmonary diseases	Captures a range of ILD entities for which advanced CT classification aids diagnosis.
`J84.2`	Pulmonary eosinophilia, not elsewhere classified	Includes interstitial processes where CT pattern analysis contributes to differential diagnosis.
`R91.8`	Other nonspecific abnormal finding of lung field	Often used when CT identifies indeterminate findings requiring further classification by analytic software.
`J98.4`	Other disorders of lung, not elsewhere classified	A broader code used when CT analysis supports evaluation of atypical interstitial or parenchymal abnormalities.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`71250`	Computed tomography, thorax; without contrast material	Often billed for the chest CT acquisition that provides images for the analytic program; reported separately from `0878T`.
`71260`	Computed tomography, thorax; with contrast material(s)`	Billed when IV contrast is administered for chest CT performed in conjunction with the analytic classification, if clinically indicated.
`71270`	Computed tomography, thorax; without contrast material, followed by contrast material and further sections	Billed when both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced phases are acquired; images may be used by analytic software.
`76376`	3D rendering with interpretation and reporting of CT, MRI, ultrasound, or other tomographic modality; simple	May be used when additional post-processing or 3D reconstruction supplements the ILD analytic report.
`94640`	Pressurized or non-pressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction, initial treatment	Included as an example of downstream respiratory therapy procedures in acutely symptomatic patients evaluated for ILD; useful in workflow when respiratory compromise is present.
`31628`	Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible, with transbronchial lung biopsy, single lobe	Performed in some ILD workups when tissue diagnosis is required; typically performed after imaging and analytic classification informs need for biopsy.

CPT 0877T: Chest CT Image Analysis for Interstitial Lung Disease Classification

CPT-0879T-CHEST-CT-IMAGE-PREPARATION-TRANSMISSION-ILD-CLASSIFICATION

CPT 0879T: Chest CT Preparation and Transmission for ILD Classification

CPT-0880T-CHEST-CT-INTERSTITIAL-LUNG-DISEASE-INTERPRETATION-REPORT

CPT 0880T: Chest CT Interpretation and Report for Interstitial Lung Disease

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

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CPT 0878T: CT Image Analysis for Interstitial Lung Disease Classification

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 0878T: CT Image Analysis for Interstitial Lung Disease Classification

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References