Loading...

    Explore
    • Policy Monitoring
    • Live Policy Feed
    • Billing Codes
    • NPI Medicare & Medicaid
    • Healthcare Providers
    • Health Insurance Payers
    • States
    • Service Lines
    • Taxonomy Codes
    Lookup tools
    • Billing Code Lookup
    • CPT Modifier Lookup
    • Provider Taxonomy Code Lookup
    • Healthcare Provider & Facility Lookup
    • Health Insurance Payer Lookup
    • Payer Contact Directory

    Policy & Benchmark Tools

    • Prior Authorization Lookup
    • Coverage Criteria Lookup
    • Timely Filing Lookup
    • Billing Code Reimbursement Rates
    • Payer Comparison Dashboard
    • Facility Comparison Dashboard
    • All tools

    Company

    • About OpenPayer
    • Data Sources
    • Trek Health
    OpenPayerby Trek Health
    LinkedInYouTube

    © 2026 Trek Health. All rights reserved.

    OpenPayer is built and maintained by Trek Health.

    v1.0.28
    OpenPayerBilling CodesSurgical, Imaging Devices and GraftsHCPCS hcpcs-c1603-ivc-filter-retrieval-laser-device
    Ask Trek AI about this page

    HCPCS Level II C1603: Laser Retrieval Device for IVC Filter

    HCPCS Level II code C1603 describes a laser retrieval device designed to be inserted to retrieve an intravascular inferior vena cava (IVC) filter; this is an interventional vascular device used during endovascular filter retrieval procedures and is typically used in an operating room or interventional radiology suite as an inpatient or outpatient endovascular service.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Shoulder Arthroplasty (Total, Partial, Reverse, Revision and Resurfacing), Hip Arthroplasty (partial and total hip replacement), Artificial Lumbar Intervertebral Disc (Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty).

    Customize your policy alerts

    Sign up for hcpcs C1603 policy alerts

    Get alerted when payer policies referencing C1603 are released or updated.

    Monitor payer policy activity

    Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

    Table of contents

    Progress1 / 7

    Explore openpayer tools

    • Billing CodesCPT, HCPCS, DRG & more
    • Reimbursement RatesCommercial vs. Medicare rate reports
    • ProvidersHospitals & facilities
    • PayersPlans & market footprint
    • Taxonomy CodesNUCC specialty codes
    • ModifiersCPT modifiers & usage
    • Prior AuthorizationPA policies by payer & drug
    • Timely FilingFiling deadlines by payer
    • Coverage CriteriaMedical necessity by payer
    • Payer ContactsClaims, PA & appeals contacts
    View all tools

    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A typical patient is an adult who previously had an infrarenal inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placed for temporary protection against pulmonary embolism during a period of high venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk (for example, trauma, recent major surgery, or contraindication to anticoagulation). After the acute risk has resolved and anticoagulation is established or the contraindication has abated, the patient is scheduled for filter retrieval using a laser-assisted retrieval device C1603 when standard snare techniques have failed or the filter hook is embedded in the caval wall.

    The clinical workflow: the patient undergoes preprocedural evaluation including history, focused exam, review of prior imaging (CT venography or venous duplex) to assess filter position and thrombus, and informed consent. In an interventional radiology or vascular surgery suite (typical site of service: hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center), conscious sedation or monitored anesthesia care is provided; general anesthesia may be used for complex retrievals. Under fluoroscopic guidance, venous access (often right internal jugular) is obtained, a sheath is advanced to the filter, and standard retrieval attempts are made. If the filter is adherent or endothelialized, the operator deploys the laser retrieval device C1603 to ablate tissue overgrowth and free the filter for extraction. Post‑retrieval venography confirms caval integrity and absence of complications. The patient is observed for access site bleeding and cardiopulmonary stability prior to discharge or inpatient observation based on institutional protocol.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    37193Endovascular removal of intravascular foreign body, endovascular; percutaneous, initial deviceMay be used for percutaneous retrieval attempts of IVC filters when standard snare techniques are employed prior to or instead of laser-assisted retrieval.
    37244Revascularization, endovascular, open or percutaneous, iliac artery, unilateral, initial vesselUsed when concomitant venous or arterial interventions (rare) are performed during the same session; listed when adjunct vascular procedures occur.
    36011Introduction of catheter, vein; central venous access, not otherwise specifiedUsed for central venous access such as internal jugular sheath placement required to introduce retrieval devices including C1603.
    76937Ultrasound guidance for vascular access (ie, real-time)Used when ultrasound guidance is used for venous access prior to filter retrieval.
    99152Moderate (conscious) sedation services provided by the physician; initial 15 minutesUsed when physician provides moderate sedation for the retrieval procedure; time‑based additions per guidelines.

    Related Modifiers

    8 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    23Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    54Modifier ‑54 (“Surgical care only”) is appended to a CPT surgical procedure when the reporting surgeon performs the intraoperative (surgical) component but does not furnish the preoperative and/or…- Use modifier -54 when the reporting surgeon provided only the intraoperative (surgical) component of a procedure and preoperative and/or postoperative management has been or will be provided by…
    55Modifier –55 indicates the billing provider furnished only postoperative management for a procedure that has a global surgical period. According to AAPC, this modifier is appended to the same CPT…- Use modifier -55 when billing the same CPT surgical code that has a 10- or 90-day global period and you, as a provider other than the original surgeon, furnished ONLY postoperative management (no…
    56Modifier ‑56 indicates the reporting provider furnished only the preoperative management for a surgical procedure and did not perform the intraoperative or postoperative care. It is used in…- Use Modifier -56 when a provider performs only the preoperative management in a split‑care situation (one physician manages preop care while a different physician performs the intraoperative…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy CodeSpecialtyNotes
    208100000XPhysical Medicine & Rehabilitation PhysicianPhysical medicine and rehabilitation, also referred to as rehabilitation medicine, is the medical specialty concerned with diagnosing, evaluating, and…
    207T00000XNeurological Surgery PhysicianA neurological surgeon provides the operative and non-operative management (i.e., prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, critical care, and reh…
    363A00000XPhysician AssistantA physician assistant is a person who has successfully completed an accredited education program for physician assistant, is licensed by the state and…
    207RG0300XGeriatric Medicine (Internal Medicine) PhysicianAn internist who has special knowledge of the aging process and special skills in the diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and rehabilitative aspects o…
    332BN1400XNursing Facility Supplies (DME)Suppliers · Durable Medical Equipment & Medical Supplies
    1041S0200XSchool Social WorkerBehavioral Health & Social Service Providers · Social Worker
    207RG0100XGastroenterology PhysicianAn internist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive organs including the stomach, bowels, liver and gallbladder. This…
    331L00000XBlood BankAn institution (organization or distinct part thereof) that performs, or is responsible for the performance of, the collection, processing, storage an…

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    20 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    I21.09ST elevation (STEMI) myocardial infarction involving other coronary artery of anterior wall
    I26.99Other pulmonary embolism without acute cor pulmonale
    I65.29Occlusion and stenosis of unspecified carotid artery
    I73.9Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified
    I74.3Embolism and thrombosis of arteries of the lower extremities
    I80.221Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of right popliteal vein
    I80.3Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of lower extremities, unspecified
    I82.401Acute embolism and thrombosis of unspecified deep veins of right lower extremity
    I82.402Acute embolism and thrombosis of unspecified deep veins of left lower extremity
    I82.403Acute embolism and thrombosis of unspecified deep veins of lower extremity, bilateral

    Showing 1–10 of 20

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Orthopedics/Musculoskeletal1 / 2

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Shoulder Arthroplasty (Total, Partial, Reverse, Revision and Resurfacing)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Hip Arthroplasty (partial and total hip replacement)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Artificial Lumbar Intervertebral Disc (Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Osteochondral Grafting of the Kneeuniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Resurfacinguniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Lumbar Fusion (arthrodesis) with decompressionuniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Sacroiliac Joint Fusion or Stabilizationuniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Percutaneous Vertebroplasty/Mechanical Vertebral Augmentation and Percutaneous Sacroplastyuniverahealthcare2026-10-15
    Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI)univerahealthcare2026-10-15
    Shoulder Open ProceduresPremera Bluecross2026-09-04

    Related Codes

    HCPCS-C1600-INTRAVASCULAR-LESION-PREPARATION-BLADED-CATHETER

    HCPCS Level II C1600: Transluminal Lesion Preparation Bladed Sheathed Catheter

    HCPCS-C1601-DISPOSABLE-PULMONARY-ENDOSCOPE-IMAGING

    HCPCS Level II C1601: Single-Use Pulmonary Imaging/Illumination Endoscope

    HCPCS-C1602-ABSORBABLE-ANTIMICROBIAL-BONE-VOID-FILLER-IMPLANTABLE

    HCPCS C1602: Absorbable Antimicrobial-Eluting Bone Void Filler

    HCPCS-C1604-TRANSMURAL-TRANSVENOUS-ARTERIAL-BYPASS-GRAFT-IMPLANTABLE

    HCPCS C1604: Graft, Transmural Transvenous Arterial Bypass (Implantable)

    HCPCS-C1605-LEADLESS-DUAL-CHAMBER-PACEMAKER-IMPLANTATION

    HCPCS C1605: Leadless Dual-Chamber Pacemaker Implantation

    HCPCS-C1606-ENDOSCOPIC-ULTRASOUND-ADAPTER-DISPOSABLE

    HCPCS C1606: Adapter for Ultrasound Attachment to Upper GI Endoscope

    HCPCS-C1607-IMPLANTABLE-RECHARGEABLE-NEUROSTIMULATOR-INTEGRATED

    HCPCS Level II C1607: Implantable Rechargeable Neurostimulator

    HCPCS-C1608-TOTAL-DUAL-MOBILITY-FIRST-CARPOMETACARPAL-PROSTHESIS

    HCPCS Level II C1608: Total Dual Mobility Prosthesis, First CMC Joint

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
    Published by

    Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

    Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

    01996
    Monitoring for maintenance of anesthesia during intra-arterial or intracardiac procedures
    Used if complex anesthesia monitoring or anesthesia services beyond routine are billed during the retrieval.