Summary & Overview
HCPCS A9502: Technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin, Diagnostic Per-Study Dose
HCPCS Level II code A9502 represents a per-study dose of technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin, a radiopharmaceutical used in diagnostic nuclear medicine, most notably for myocardial perfusion imaging. Nationally, radiopharmaceutical coding is important for accurate facility billing, reimbursement of imaging services, and supply cost accounting in hospital outpatient departments and imaging centers. Payers commonly involved with coverage for this code include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
This publication provides a concise reference for clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts. Readers will find: an explanation of the clinical purpose of A9502; common sites of service where the product is used; payer coverage context for major national payers listed above; and practical benchmarks and policy considerations affecting radiopharmaceutical billing. The content highlights coding conventions related to HCPCS Level II reporting and summarizes the clinical context for myocardial perfusion and other nuclear diagnostic studies that use technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin.
Data not available in the input is clearly identified where applicable. The focus is national in scope and intended to clarify what this billing code represents and where it is applied in routine diagnostic imaging workflows.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code A9502 describes Technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin, diagnostic, per study dose. This supply is used as a radiopharmaceutical agent for nuclear medicine diagnostic studies, most commonly myocardial perfusion imaging.
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Service type: Diagnostic radiopharmaceutical administration for nuclear medicine imaging
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory imaging centers, and nuclear medicine suites in clinics and hospitals
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Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 67-year-old male with known coronary artery disease presents to the nuclear medicine department for a myocardial perfusion imaging study using Technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin (A9502). The referral indicates evaluation of exertional chest pain and assessment of ischemia after an abnormal exercise ECG. The patient arrives at an outpatient imaging center (typical site of service: nuclear medicine suite within an outpatient hospital or freestanding imaging center). The nuclear medicine technologist verifies identity, allergies, and recent medications, obtains IV access, and documents the baseline clinical status. A stress protocol is selected (exercise treadmill or pharmacologic stress with regadenoson) according to the patient’s functional capacity and contraindications. At peak stress (or appropriate pharmacologic endpoint) the technologist administers the Technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin per study dose (A9502) intravenously, records lot and dose information, and proceeds with gated SPECT imaging after appropriate uptake time. Images are acquired, processed, and reviewed by a nuclear cardiologist who interprets perfusion defects, left ventricular function, and viability. The report documents dose administered, radiopharmaceutical lot, imaging protocol, stress method, and interpretation. The typical workflow includes preauthorization review for outpatient payors, verification of patient demographic and insurance coverage, and billing of the radiopharmaceutical using A9502 along with applicable procedure and imaging CPT codes for SPECT acquisition and interpretation.
Coding Specifications
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