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CPT 93455: Imaging Supervision and Interpretation for Bypass Graft Catheter Placement
CPT code 93455 covers imaging supervision and interpretation for catheter placement in coronary artery bypass grafts, including diagnostic injections to evaluate for coronary artery disease or graft stenosis. As a focused imaging-intensity code, it distinguishes the interpretive and supervisory component of graft catheterization from the technical performance of catheter insertion or therapeutic interventions. Nationally, accurate use of this code supports proper clinical documentation, claims adjudication, and differentiation of professional imaging services from procedure-level billing.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for 93455, comparisons to related imaging supervision codes for cardiac catheterization, and typical billing considerations tied to service setting and documentation. The publication summarizes coding scope, common associated service settings, and the relationship of 93455 to adjacent coronary angiography and catheterization codes to help coding professionals, clinical leaders, and revenue cycle teams understand where this code fits in typical cardiac catheterization workflows.
The content focuses on national applicability and operational clarity rather than payer-specific payment rates. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 93455 represents imaging supervision and interpretation for catheter placement in a bypass graft, including diagnostic injections to assess coronary artery disease or stenosis within the grafted vessel. This code is used when the provider's role is limited to supervising the imaging aspects of the procedure and interpreting the resulting images, rather than performing the catheterization itself.
Service type: Imaging supervision and interpretation for diagnostic coronary graft catheterization
Typical site of service: Hospital-based catheterization laboratory or outpatient cardiac catheterization suite
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Nationally, Medicare's mean rate of $677.50 sits well below the BUCA commercial average of $3,101.60, indicating a substantial gap between federal reimbursement and this commercial benchmark for CPT 93455. The commercial mean for BUCA is roughly 4.6 times Medicare’s mean, highlighting meaningful payer-level differences in compensation for the same service.
Rate dispersion (P75 minus P25) highlights where rates cluster versus where they spread. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest interquartile spread at $4,726.30 (P75 $6,513.10 minus P25 $1,787.80), followed by BUCA at $3,057.00 and UnitedHealth Group at $870.10. The tightest spreads are Aetna at $660.70 and Cigna at $960.00, indicating more concentrated commercial pricing for those payers.