Summary & Overview
CPT 77370: Special Medical Radiation Physics Consultation, Technical Component
CPT code 77370 represents a technical-component medical physics consultation performed under special circumstances, for example when a patient is pregnant and radiation therapy requires specialized planning and safety evaluation. The code is used to capture focused technical services by medical physicists or qualified personnel that address complex dosimetric issues, shielding needs, and documentation for safe radiation delivery. Nationally, use of this code signals engagement of physics resources for patient safety and quality assurance in radiation oncology.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context and service setting, typical payer considerations, and benchmark-oriented topics relevant to billing and coverage. The publication outlines how the code is categorized (technical component), common clinical scenarios prompting the consultation, and the places where the service is most often delivered.
This summary prepares readers to review benchmarks, policy considerations, and coding nuances tied to 77370, and to understand where this service fits within radiation oncology workflows and national payer coverage patterns.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 77370 describes a special medical radiation physics consultation provided under specific circumstances, such as when radiation therapy involves a pregnant patient. This entry represents the technical component only of a focused physics consultation intended to assess and mitigate risks, plan special shielding or dose adjustments, and document safety considerations for the radiation delivery.
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Service type: Technical radiation physics consultation
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Typical site of service: Radiation oncology clinic or hospital radiation therapy department
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A pregnant patient requires radiotherapy planning for a malignancy located away from the pelvis (for example, left-sided breast cancer) but with potential fetal exposure concerns. The radiation oncology team consults a medical physicist to perform a specialized radiation physics consultation to estimate fetal dose, recommend shielding or treatment modifications, and document technical calculations. The workflow: referral from the radiation oncologist triggers scheduling of a physics consultation; the medical physicist reviews treatment intent, simulation images, beam arrangements, and ambient scatter; performs dose measurements or calculation using phantoms or treatment planning system, documents findings, and returns a technical report to the treatment team. The technical component is billed under 77370 for the facility/technical portion; clinical decision-making remains with the treating radiation oncologist.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
TC | Technical component | When billing only the technical portion of the service (applies to 77370). |
26 |