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    OpenPayerBilling CodesRepair and/or Reconstruction Procedures on the BreastCPT cpt-19357-breast-tissue-expander-placement-serial-expansion
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    CPT 19357: Tissue Expander Placement for Breast Reconstruction

    Medicare pays $1097 and commercial payers pay $4686 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 19357 describes placement of a tissue expander into the chest wall and pectoralis major muscle as part of breast reconstruction to create space and volume for a future permanent implant; this is a surgical reconstruction procedure typically performed in an ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room with subsequent outpatient expansion sessions over several weeks.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Removal of Implantable, Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of Service, Surgical Procedures.

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    National Reimbursement Benchmarks

    Medicare’s mean rate of $1,096.80 sits well below BUCA’s mean commercial rate of $4,685.60, indicating Medicare reimburses substantially less on average for CPT 19357 than the aggregated commercial BUCA cohort. That gap of $3,588.80 highlights a clear separation between government and commercial average pricing for this code.

    Dispersion measured as the interquartile difference (P75−P25) is smallest for Aetna at $1,305.70 and for Medicare at $93.00, indicating the tightest mid‑range concentration. The widest IQRs are with Blue Cross Blue Shield at $7,852.30 and BUCA at $5,097.70, reflecting much greater variability in commercial negotiated rates; UnitedHealth Group ($1,493.80) and Cigna ($1,426.80) fall in between those extremes.

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    National Payer Mean Reimbursement Rates

    State Reimbursement Rates

    State: Alaska1 / 51

    Rate by payer

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 48-year-old female undergoes mastectomy for invasive carcinoma of the right breast (for example, C50.011). At the time of resection, the reconstructive surgeon places a subpectoral tissue expander to restore breast contour and create a pocket for a future permanent implant. The immediate operative encounter includes device placement, pocket creation beneath the pectoralis major, and closure. Over subsequent weeks to months, the clinic performs serial percutaneous expansions in the outpatient setting to incrementally inflate the expander until the desired volume and symmetry are achieved. Once expansion is complete and oncologic treatment permits, the patient returns to the operating room for 11970 (exchange of the tissue expander for a permanent prosthesis) or 11971/19342 procedures as clinically indicated.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    19340Immediate insertion of breast prosthesis following mastopexy, mastectomy or in reconstructionAlternative to tissue expander insertion when a permanent implant is placed at the time of mastectomy

    Related Modifiers

    9 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    50Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
    77Modifier 77 indicates that a previously performed procedure or service was legitimately repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional. The AMA’s CPT definition…- Use modifier 77 when a basic procedure or service already performed is repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional (for example, a second provider independently…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    58Modifier 58 (Staged or related procedure/service by the same physician during the postoperative period) indicates that a subsequent procedure performed by the same provider during the…- Use modifier 58 when the same physician/QHP performs a procedure during the postoperative/global period of an earlier procedure and the subsequent procedure is either planned or anticipated…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    208200000X
    2086S0122X
    208600000X
    163WM0705X
    246QL0900X
    170300000X
    2084D0003X
    283XC2000X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    21 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    C44.511Basal cell carcinoma of skin of breast
    C44.521Squamous cell carcinoma of skin of breast
    C44.591Other specified malignant neoplasm of skin of breast
    C50.011Malignant neoplasm of nipple and areola, right female breast
    C50.012Malignant neoplasm of nipple and areola, left female breast
    C50.021Malignant neoplasm of nipple and areola, right male breast
    C50.022Malignant neoplasm of nipple and areola, left male breast
    C50.111Malignant neoplasm of central portion of right female breast
    C50.112Malignant neoplasm of central portion of left female breast
    C50.121Malignant neoplasm of central portion of right male breast

    Showing 1–10 of 21

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: General Surgery1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Removal of ImplantableBlue Cross Blue Shield - Rhode Island2026-10-01
    Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of ServiceUnitedHealthcare2026-09-01
    Surgical ProceduresUnitedHealthcare2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in AdultsPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in AdultsPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) SelectPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Site of Service for Ambulatory Surgical Procedures (ASC Select)Premera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) SelectPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Medical Necessity Guidelines Inpatient Surgical CareMass General Brigham Health Plan2026-08-01
    Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of Servicesierra health and life2026-08-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-19316-MASTOPEXY-BREAST-LIFT

    CPT 19316: Mastopexy (Breast Lift)

    CPT-19318-BREAST-REDUCTION-SURGERY

    CPT 19318: Breast Reduction—Excision of Excess Breast Tissue

    CPT-19325-BREAST-AUGMENTATION-IMPLANT-PLACEMENT

    CPT 19325: Breast Augmentation with Implant Placement

    CPT-19328-BREAST-IMPLANT-REMOVAL-EXPLANTATION

    CPT 19328: Removal of Previously Placed Breast Implant

    CPT-19330-BREAST-IMPLANT-EXPLANTATION-RUPTURE

    CPT 19330: Breast Implant Removal for Rupture

    CPT-19340-IMMEDIATE-BREAST-IMPLANT-INSERTION-AFTER-MASTECTOMY

    CPT 19340: Immediate Insertion of Breast Implant After Mastectomy

    CPT-19342-BREAST-IMPLANT-INSERTION-OR-REPLACEMENT-POST-MASTECTOMY

    CPT 19342: Breast Implant Insertion or Replacement After Mastectomy

    CPT-19350-NIPPLE-AREOLAR-RECONSTRUCTION-LOCAL-FLAP-TECHNIQUES

    CPT 19350: Nipple and Areolar Reconstruction, Local Flap

    CPT-19355-INVERTED-NIPPLE-CORRECTION

    CPT 19355: Correction of Inverted Nipples by Duct Release

    CPT-19361-LATISSIMUS-DORSI-BREAST-RECONSTRUCTION-FLAP

    CPT 19361: Latissimus Dorsi Flap Breast Reconstruction

    Showing 1–10 of 18

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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    Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

    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.

    19342Delayed insertion of breast prosthesis following mastopexy, mastectomy or in reconstructionUsed when definitive implant placement is performed at a later date after tissue expansion or healing
    19350Nipple/areola reconstructionPerformed later in staged reconstruction to restore nipple–areola complex after expansion and implant exchange
    11970Replacement of tissue expander with permanent prosthesisDefinitive exchange procedure following completion of expansions; direct next-step in workflow
    11971Removal of tissue expander(s) without insertion of prosthesisUsed when the expander is removed and no permanent implant is placed, e.g., due to complications or patient choice