Summary & Overview
HCPCS C7517: Catheter Placement for Coronary Angiography with Iliac/Femoral Angiography
HCPCS Level II code C7517 represents catheter placement in the coronary arteries for coronary angiography performed in conjunction with iliac and/or femoral artery angiography. The code covers the catheter positioning in the distal aorta or ipsilateral femoral or iliac artery, non-selective injection(s) of contrast, acquisition of permanent images, and radiologic supervision and interpretation. This procedure is integral to diagnostic coronary angiography performed during cardiac catheterization and is commonly billed when simultaneous peripheral angiography of the iliac or femoral vessels is performed.
This analysis covers major national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of the clinical and procedural context for the code, payer coverage considerations, common modifiers used with the service, and notes on typical sites of service. Benchmarks, policy updates, and payer-specific adjudication rules are summarized where available. Where input data is incomplete, the document specifies that information is not available in the input.
The publication is intended for coding professionals, billing managers, and clinicians involved in cardiac catheterization services who need a concise reference to the code’s clinical scope, typical utilization context, and the payers commonly engaged with this service nationally.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code C7517 describes catheter placement in coronary artery(s) for coronary angiography, including intraprocedural injection(s) for coronary angiography, performed with iliac and/or femoral artery angiography (non-selective, bilateral or ipsilateral to catheter insertion) at the same time as cardiac catheterization and/or coronary angiography. The service includes positioning or placement of the catheter in the distal aorta or ipsilateral femoral or iliac artery, injection of dye, production of permanent images, and radiologic supervision and interpretation.
Service type: Diagnostic vascular procedure; coronary and peripheral angiographic catheter placement performed during cardiac catheterization/coronary angiography.
Typical site of service: Hospital catheterization laboratory or inpatient/outpatient cardiac catheterization suite.
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 62-year-old male with progressive exertional chest pain and abnormal noninvasive stress testing is scheduled for diagnostic cardiac catheterization with coronary angiography. The procedure is performed in a hospital cardiac catheterization laboratory. Access is obtained via the right common femoral artery; coronary catheterization and selective coronary angiography are performed. At the same session the interventional cardiologist advances a diagnostic catheter to the distal abdominal aorta and performs non-selective bilateral iliac and femoral artery angiography using contrast injection and fluoroscopic imaging to evaluate peripheral arterial anatomy and identify access-site or peripheral vascular disease that may affect device selection or future interventions. Permanent angiographic images are produced and interpreted by the attending physician. The patient is hemodynamically stable pre- and post-procedure and transferred to the recovery area for monitoring.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when documented procedural work is substantially greater than typically required for C7517. |
23 |