Summary & Overview
CPT 0900T: AI Quantitation of Myocardial Blood Flow
CPT code 0900T identifies an add‑on, AI‑based analytic service that estimates absolute quantitation of myocardial blood flow (AQMBF) from stress cardiac magnetic resonance data. The code matters nationally as AI tools for quantitative cardiac perfusion aim to standardize and augment interpretation of cardiac MRI, potentially affecting clinical decision making, coding practices, and payer coverage policies for advanced cardiac imaging.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical purpose of the code, how it integrates with primary stress cardiac magnetic resonance services, and what typical sites of service look like. The publication provides benchmarking context for adoption and utilization, summarizes policy and coverage considerations that payers commonly address for AI‑enabled imaging add‑ons, and outlines the clinical and operational factors clinicians and billing professionals should track when submitting this add‑on code.
This summary is written for a national audience and focuses on the code’s clinical role, payer landscape, and the types of benchmarking and policy updates readers can expect to review.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0900T is an add‑on service used with stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in which a provider applies a noninvasive, artificial intelligence (AI)–based method to estimate absolute quantitation of myocardial blood flow (AQMBF). The technology performs assistive analysis of data from the primary stress cardiac magnetic resonance service to produce quantitative estimates of myocardial perfusion.
Service type: AI‑assisted quantitative cardiac imaging (add‑on)
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient imaging center or outpatient cardiac imaging facility where stress cardiac magnetic resonance is performed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 64-year-old patient with exertional chest pain and known coronary artery disease is referred for stress cardiac magnetic resonance (stress CMR) to evaluate ischemia and myocardial perfusion. The primary study is a pharmacologic stress CMR with contrast performed in an outpatient imaging center or hospital radiology/cardiology department. The imaging acquisition (including rest and stress perfusion sequences and late gadolinium enhancement) is completed by the technologist and interpreted by the reading cardiologist or radiologist. After acquisition of the primary stress CMR images, an FDA-cleared, noninvasive artificial intelligence (AI)–based software performs assistive analysis to estimate absolute quantitation of myocardial blood flow (AQMBF). The AI tool processes the existing perfusion datasets to generate quantitative perfusion metrics that supplement the qualitative interpretation.
Workflow steps:
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Patient check-in, vital signs, and screening for MRI contraindications.
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Intravenous access placement and administration of contrast agent and pharmacologic stress agent per protocol.
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MRI technologist performs rest and stress perfusion imaging and Late Gadolinium Enhancement sequences.
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Imaging data transferred to the PACS and to the AI-based AQMBF software (local server or cloud service).
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The AI tool analyzes perfusion sequences and returns quantitative myocardial blood flow values and color-coded maps.
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Interpreting physician reviews AI outputs alongside primary images, incorporates results into the final report, and documents use of the add-on AI analysis (
0900T) as assistive to the primary stress CMR service.
Typical site of service:
- Outpatient imaging center, hospital outpatient radiology/cardiology department, or cardiac catheterization suite with MRI capability.
Typical patient scenario example:
- A symptomatic patient with intermediate pretest probability for coronary ischemia undergoing a stress CMR for evaluation of inducible ischemia; the provider adds AI-derived absolute myocardial blood flow quantitation (
0900T) to supplement perfusion interpretation and assist in clinical decision-making.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when the service requires substantially greater work than typical for the primary service (document justification in the record). |
26 | Professional component | Use when reporting only the physician interpretation component separate from technical imaging services.
52 | Reduced services | Use when the service is partially reduced or not fully performed.
53 | Discontinued procedure | Use when the procedure is started but discontinued due to patient-related or clinical circumstances.
62 | Two surgeons | Use when two surgeons of different specialties perform distinct parts of a complex procedure (rare for imaging but included per input).
73 | Discontinued outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery before anesthesia or incision | Use if the outpatient imaging service is cancelled after patient prep but before service performance.
78 | Return to operating/procedure room for related procedure during global period | Use if patient returns for a related procedure during the postoperative/global period.
TC | Technical component | Use when reporting only the technical component (imaging acquisition and data generation) without physician interpretation.
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
207RH0000X | Cardiology | Adult cardiologists commonly interpret stress CMR and incorporate AI perfusion quantitation. |
207RK0002X | Nuclear Cardiology | Specialists in cardiac perfusion imaging who may integrate quantitative perfusion analysis.
2084P0800X | Radiology - Diagnostic | Diagnostic radiologists with cardiac MRI expertise interpret stress CMR studies.
207T00000X | Interventional Cardiology | May use perfusion quantitation results when correlating with invasive coronary evaluation or planning.
2086S0122X | Cardiac Electrophysiology | Less commonly involved but may use perfusion data for substrate assessment in specific clinical contexts.
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
I20.9 | Angina pectoris, unspecified | Common indication for stress CMR to evaluate for inducible ischemia and guide management. |
I25.10 | Atherosclerotic heart disease of native coronary artery without angina pectoris | Chronic coronary disease where quantitative myocardial blood flow adds information about perfusion deficits.
I21.9 | Acute myocardial infarction, unspecified | Post-infarct patients may undergo perfusion imaging and quantitation for viability and residual ischemia assessment.
I50.9 | Heart failure, unspecified | Perfusion abnormalities can contribute to heart failure assessment; quantitation may aid in etiology evaluation.
R07.9 | Chest pain, unspecified | Common presenting symptom prompting noninvasive ischemia evaluation with stress CMR and adjunctive AQMBF analysis.
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
75557 | Magnetic resonance angiography, chest; without contrast material, followed by contrast and further sequences (varies by code descriptors) | Often billed for comprehensive cardiac MRI exams that include perfusion sequences; the primary stress CMR study components are reported with MRI codes. |
75561 | Cardiac MRI for morphology and function without contrast material, followed by with contrast, when performed | Represents cardiac MRI sequences for ventricular function that are commonly part of a complete stress CMR exam alongside perfusion analysis.
75563 | Magnetic resonance imaging, heart, with stress imaging (with or without contrast) | Primary code covering stress perfusion cardiac MRI studies; 0900T is an add-on assistive analysis to the primary stress CMR service.
0143T | Cardiovascular imaging, myocardial perfusion imaging, computed tomography, perfusion (may be modality-specific) | Alternative advanced myocardial perfusion quantitation in other modalities; included as related quantitative perfusion services in clinical workflow.
93000 | Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with interpretation and report | Often performed concurrently for stress monitoring and orthogonal documentation during stress testing associated with cardiac imaging.