Summary & Overview
CPT 76496: Unlisted Fluoroscopic Procedure
CPT code 76496 designates fluoroscopic procedures that lack a specific CPT descriptor. As an unlisted fluoroscopy code, 76496 captures a range of imaging-guided services where fluoroscopic visualization is integral but no existing code precisely fits the service provided. The code is nationally relevant because it is used across multiple sites of service — including outpatient imaging centers, hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgical centers, and physician offices — whenever clinicians must rely on fluoroscopic guidance without an exact code match.
Key payers in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines what stakeholders need to know about reporting 76496, including how the code is applied in clinical contexts, typical sites of service, common modifiers that may accompany the claim, and the limitations of using an unlisted code for billing and reporting.
Readers will find benchmarks and coding guidance context, summaries of payer considerations, and policy-related notes relevant to unlisted fluoroscopy reporting. Where input fields were not provided, the document notes that specific data elements are not available in the input. The focus is national in scope and intended for healthcare administrators, coding professionals, and policy analysts seeking concise reference material on the use and implications of CPT code 76496.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 76496 is used to report fluoroscopic procedures that do not have a specific code. It functions as a general or unlisted fluoroscopy code for services where fluoroscopic guidance, visualization, or imaging is performed but no more specific CPT fluoroscopy code applies.
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Service type: Imaging — fluoroscopic procedure
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Typical site of service: Outpatient imaging centers, hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgical centers, or physician offices where fluoroscopy-guided procedures are performed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old male with a history of metastatic colon cancer presents for an interventional radiology–guided fluoroscopic procedure to localize and document placement of a percutaneous biliary drain that does not have a specific fluoroscopy CPT code. The patient arrives to the outpatient interventional radiology suite after review of prior imaging. The procedure is performed under conscious sedation. Under continuous fluoroscopic guidance, a biliary catheter is advanced into the obstructed intrahepatic biliary tree, contrast injection is performed to confirm position and drainage, and final images are captured. The fluoroscopic portion documents real-time imaging, needle and catheter positioning, contrast opacification, and final device placement for the medical record and billing. Typical site of service is an outpatient hospital-based interventional radiology suite or ambulatory surgery center. Typical workflow includes pre-procedure verification, sedation and monitoring, sterile preparation, image-guided catheter placement under fluoroscopy, documentation of fluoroscopic time and images, post-procedure recovery, and discharge instructions. The service is reported using 76496 when no more specific fluoroscopic guidance CPT code describes the fluoroscopic component provided.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when only the physician interpretation or supervision component of the fluoroscopic imaging is billed separately from technical component. |