Summary & Overview
HCPCS C1874: Coated/Covered Stent with Delivery System
HCPCS Level II code C1874 designates a coated or covered stent supplied with its delivery system for endovascular implantation. This device-level code is used to identify the stent and its delivery mechanism on facility and professional claims when the implant is provided as part of an interventional vascular procedure. Nationally, device codes such as C1874 matter because they affect device reimbursement, device cost accounting, and coding consistency across hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and catheterization laboratories.
Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the clinical context for use — endovascular implant/device placement in outpatient or procedural settings — and a concise discussion of payer coverage patterns and coding considerations. The publication summarizes typical billing scenarios, common modifiers in payer formularies, and where to locate reimbursement and coverage policy language.
This report provides benchmarks for facility coding practice, highlights documentation elements tied to device reporting, and outlines where to look for policy updates from major commercial payers and Medicare. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code C1874 describes a stent, coated/covered, with delivery system. The code represents a procedural supply that includes the implantable stent already mounted on or packaged with its delivery system.
Service type: Endovascular implant/device placement.
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department, ambulatory surgery center, or catheterization lab depending on clinical setting and procedural complexity.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old male with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease presents with lifestyle-limiting claudication and an angiographically significant stenosis of the superficial femoral artery. After diagnostic angiography confirms a focal, flow-limiting lesion unresponsive to medical therapy and exercise, the vascular surgery or interventional cardiology team plans endovascular revascularization using a covered, drug- or polymer-coated stent delivered via percutaneous access. The patient undergoes pre-procedure evaluation including informed consent, anticoagulation assessment, and vascular access site planning. In the procedure suite or catheterization lab, arterial access is obtained (commonly common femoral artery), lesion crossing is achieved with guidewire and catheter, lesion preparation is performed (balloon angioplasty or atherectomy if indicated), and a coated/covered stent with integrated delivery system (C1874) is deployed across the lesion. Post-deployment angiography confirms satisfactory stent position and flow. Hemostasis is achieved with manual compression or a closure device, and the patient is observed in a post-anesthesia care area or same-day recovery unit. Typical sites of service include the hospital outpatient department (HOPD), ambulatory surgery center (ASC), or inpatient operating room when performed with concurrent open or complex procedures. The service type is an endovascular peripheral stent placement using a coated/covered stent with delivery system. Commonly involved providers include vascular surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and interventional radiologists. Follow-up includes vascular exam, duplex ultrasound surveillance, and antiplatelet therapy management.
Coding Specifications
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