Summary & Overview
CPT 0899T: AI Quantitation of Myocardial Blood Flow
CPT code 0899T designates an add-on service that uses a noninvasive, artificial intelligence–based method to produce absolute quantitation of myocardial blood flow (AQMBF) from stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging data. As an augmentative analytic layer applied to the primary stress cardiac magnetic resonance service, this CPT code enables reporting of a numeric myocardial perfusion metric that can inform clinical assessment of ischemia and microvascular function. Nationally, AI-enabled quantitative imaging is emerging as a distinct reimbursable service category, making clarity on coding important for providers and payers.
Payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and service definition, comparisons of payer coverage approaches and benchmarking where available, and notes on common billing modifiers and interoperability considerations. The publication summarizes how 0899T fits into imaging service lines, typical sites of service, and the clinical situations where AQMBF reporting augments conventional stress cardiac MRI interpretation. Data not available in the input regarding associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0899T is an add-on, AI-based quantitative analysis used alongside primary stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The service provides absolute quantitation of myocardial blood flow (AQMBF) by applying a noninvasive artificial intelligence algorithm to imaging data from the primary stress cardiac magnetic resonance service. This augmentative analysis yields a numeric measure of blood flow through the heart muscle, intended to enhance physiologic assessment of myocardial perfusion.
Service Type: AI-based augmentative image analysis (add-on to stress cardiac magnetic resonance)
Typical Site of Service: Imaging centers or hospital outpatient departments where stress cardiac magnetic resonance is performed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old patient with known coronary artery disease and persistent exertional chest discomfort is referred for stress cardiac magnetic resonance (stress CMR) to evaluate ischemia and myocardial perfusion. The imaging study is performed in the hospital outpatient radiology or cardiology imaging suite. A technologist and MR-compatible monitoring staff prepare the patient, establish IV access, and administer pharmacologic stress (adenosine or regadenoson) per protocol while the cardiology or radiology team performs cine, perfusion, and late gadolinium enhancement sequences. The acquired stress CMR images and raw perfusion data are submitted to an FDA-cleared, AI-based post-processing platform that performs augmentative analysis to derive the absolute quantitation of myocardial blood flow (AQMBF) as an add-on service using 0899T. The interpreting physician reviews the AI-derived AQMBF output alongside the primary stress CMR images and incorporates the quantitative perfusion values into the final report to aid clinical decision-making regarding ischemia severity and potential revascularization. Typical sites of service include hospital outpatient imaging centers, ambulatory imaging centers, and tertiary academic medical centers with advanced cardiac MRI capability.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work required to interpret or document the AI-derived AQMBF is substantially greater than usual. |
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting the physician interpretation portion separate from technical imaging acquisition. |
52 | Reduced services | Use if the AI analysis is partially completed or limited and billed at reduced service. |
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use if the AI processing or imaging acquisition is terminated due to patient instability before completion. |
62 | Two surgeons | Rare; use when two qualified physicians jointly perform the interpretation as required by local policy. |
73 | Discontinued outpatient procedure prior to anesthesia | Use when the outpatient imaging session is terminated prior to planned stress administration and AI analysis is not completed. |
78 | Unplanned return to operating/procedure room following initial procedure | Use when an unplanned repeat imaging procedure requiring repeat AI analysis occurs during the postoperative period. |
TC | Technical component | Use when billing only the technical component of the combined service; note 0899T is an add-on analytic service and TC may apply if reporting technical-only services in composite reporting. |
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 207RC0000X | Adult Cardiology | Interpreting cardiologists typically order and review stress CMR and AQMBF analyses. |
| 2084P0800X | Diagnostic Radiology | Radiologists with cardiac MRI expertise perform acquisition and interpretation. |
| 261QM0800X | Cardiac Electrophysiology | Electrophysiologists may utilize perfusion quantification when evaluating ischemic substrates. |
| 174400000X | Nuclear Cardiology | Nuclear cardiologists may correlate PET perfusion quantitation with CMR AQMBF results. |
| 2086S0122X | Cardiac MRI Specialist | Advanced imaging physicians who perform specialized post-processing and interpretation. |
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Data not available in the input. |
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
75557 | Magnetic resonance angiography, heart, with contrast, including stress and rest perfusion when performed; quantification and post-processing | Primary or companion cardiac MR service that includes perfusion imaging; 0899T augments these datasets with AI-derived absolute MBF. |
75561 | Magnetic resonance, cardiac, with pharmacologic stress perfusion, including interpretation and reporting | Core stress CMR perfusion acquisition and interpretation; 0899T is an add-on analytic service applied to perfusion data from codes like 75561. |
0143T | Myocardial PET perfusion, quantification of myocardial blood flow, tomographic (for reference) | Provides absolute MBF by PET; listed for clinical workflow correlation when comparing AI-derived CMR AQMBF to PET standards. |
76377 | 3D rendering with interpretation; for vascular structures (list separately in addition to primary) | Post-processing code for advanced image rendering that may be performed alongside AI quantitation for reporting. |
96040 | Medical transcription service, review and correction (non-physician) (example ancillary) | Ancillary documentation and report preparation services that may support finalized reports containing AQMBF results. |