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CPT 77401: Radiation Therapy Simulation / Dosimetry Planning (Deleted 2026)
CPT code 77401 was a CPT radiation therapy code that has been deleted effective Jan. 1, 2026. Its deletion affects billing and claims workflows for radiation therapy simulation or dosimetry planning services in outpatient and hospital-based radiation oncology settings nationwide. The change is material for reimbursement processing, coding updates, and electronic health record mapping that rely on legacy code sets.
This overview covers major national payers: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the code change, implications for billing and claims adjudication, and related clinical context around radiation therapy services. The publication outlines which services commonly paired with the deleted code may require alternative coding, references typical sites of service, and highlights operational steps payers and providers will need to address during code transitions.
The analysis provides benchmarks and policy updates relevant to coding workflows, describes associated clinical indications for radiation treatment of skin and periocular malignancies, and points to related simulation procedures that are commonly billed alongside the deleted code. Where input data is lacking, the text notes that specific details are not available.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 77401 is listed as Deleted effective Jan. 1, 2026. The code formerly represented a radiation therapy service; based on that description, the service type is radiation therapy simulation or dosimetry planning. The typical site of service for this type of procedure is an outpatient radiation oncology facility or hospital-based radiation therapy department.
Data not available in the input for additional details about procedure steps or equipment.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Across national commercial payers, the BUCA average commercial rate for CPT 77401 sits near the mid-market, with a mean of $57.4. Individual payer means vary: Cigna is highest at $67.9, while UnitedHealth Group is lowest at $45.6; Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) fall in between at $58.3 and $57.7 respectively. This places BUCA’s average close to the center of the payer distribution, indicating that typical commercial reimbursement for this code clusters around the high $40s to high $60s.
Examining dispersion (P75 minus P25) highlights differences in variability: Cigna’s interquartile range is $38.4 ($80.6 − $42.2), BCBS is $35.8 ($71.3 − $37.5), Aetna is $33.4 ($72.3 − $39.0), BUCA is $34.4 ($70.1 − $36.7), and UnitedHealth Group is tightest at $27.6 ($55.2 − $27.6). Thus Cigna exhibits the widest spread while UnitedHealth Group shows the tightest mid-market clustering.