Summary & Overview
HCPCS C9483: Injection, atezolizumab, 10 mg
HCPCS Level II code C9483 denotes a 10 mg unit of atezolizumab injection, an immune checkpoint inhibitor used in oncology. As an HCPCS Level II drug code, C9483 is used on medical claims to report the supply of the drug separate from the infusion procedure. Nationally, accurate coding for high-cost biologics such as atezolizumab affects payment administration, utilization tracking, and quality measurement for cancer care.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of payer coverage patterns, national benchmark considerations, and the clinical context for use of atezolizumab. The publication summarizes how C9483 is billed relative to infusion services, typical sites of service where the drug is administered, and implications for claim processing.
This resource is intended for billing managers, revenue cycle staff, and policy analysts seeking a concise reference on HCPCS Level II code C9483, including benchmarks, policy updates, and clinical context for oncology drug administration.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code C9483 represents injection, atezolizumab, 10 mg. This code describes a parenteral administration of the immunotherapy agent atezolizumab in a measured 10 mg unit.
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Service type: Intravenous or subcutaneous injectable oncology drug administration
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department, physician office, or infusion center
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 64-year-old patient with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who tests negative for actionable driver mutations presents for systemic immunotherapy. The oncology team prescribes atezolizumab as part of a single-agent regimen or in combination with chemotherapy. The patient arrives at the outpatient infusion center for administration of the intravenous monoclonal antibody. Clinical workflow includes pre-infusion nursing assessment (vital signs, symptom review, allergy check), verification of consent and dose calculation (based on weight or fixed dosing per protocol), pharmacy aseptic preparation of C9483 (atezolizumab, 10 mg unit billing), bedside time-out, IV access placement or assessment of existing port, administration per institutional infusion rate escalation protocol, monitoring for infusion-related reactions, and post-infusion observation with discharge instructions. Typical documentation includes the medication name and lot number, dose administered, units billed reflecting C9483 (10 mg increments), infusion start and stop times, pre- and post-vital signs, and any adverse events or medications given for reaction management.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
JG | Drug administered under a drug discount program — product furnished by provider | When reporting a discounted drug under the 340B program where applicable and payer requires JG for unit-based drug billing |
Q0 | Investigational clinical service — drug only | When administering an investigational agent under a clinical trial and billing only the drug
Q1 | Investigational clinical service — routine clinical services provided in clinical research | When routine services for a clinical trial participant are billed alongside the drug
JW | Drug amount discarded/not administered to any patient | When part of the single-use vial is wasted and the discarded amount must be indicated
RT | Right side | When the infusion is associated with a procedure or access on the right side (rare for systemic infusion; included for completeness)
LT | Left side | When the infusion is associated with a procedure or access on the left side (rare for systemic infusion; included for completeness)
59 | Distinct procedural service | When a separate, distinct procedural service is performed on the same day that is not normally reported together with the infusion
76 | Repeat procedure or service by same provider | When the same infusion service is repeated later the same day by the same provider
77 | Repeat procedure by another provider | When another provider performs the repeated infusion procedure the same day
22 | Increased procedural services | When unusually high complexity or effort is required for infusion-related procedures (documentation required)
| Taxonomy Code | Specialty | Notes |
|---|---|---|
207RH0000X | Hematology/Oncology | Medical oncologists who prescribe and oversee systemic cancer therapies including atezolizumab |
208600000X | Medical Oncology | Physicians specializing in systemic cancer treatments and infusion management
363L00000X | Nurse Practitioner | Oncology-certified nurse practitioners who manage infusion clinics and medication orders
367A00000X | Physician Assistant | Oncology physician assistants who provide direct patient care in infusion centers
334800000X | Clinical Pharmacist | Oncology pharmacists responsible for aseptic preparation, dosing verification, and medication safety
Related Diagnoses
| ICD-10 Code | Description | Clinical Relevance |
|---|---|---|
C34.90 | Malignant neoplasm of unspecified part of bronchus or lung, unspecified | Represents non-small cell lung cancer presentations where atezolizumab may be indicated |
C50.919 | Malignant neoplasm of unspecified site of unspecified female breast | Breast cancer subtypes with PD-L1 expression may be treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in select settings
C79.51 | Secondary malignant neoplasm of bone | Metastatic disease sites commonly associated with systemic therapy including immunotherapy
C77.0 | Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes of head, face and neck | Nodal metastases indicating advanced disease often managed with systemic agents
Z51.11 | Encounter for antineoplastic chemotherapy | Administrative encounter code used for patients receiving systemic antineoplastic therapy such as atezolizumab
Related CPT Codes
| CPT Code | Description | Relationship to This Procedure |
|---|---|---|
96413 | Chemotherapy administration, intravenous infusion technique; up to 1 hour, single or initial substance/drug | Used for billing infusion administration time for first hour when atezolizumab is given as an IV infusion |
96415 | Chemotherapy administration, intravenous infusion technique; each additional hour | Used to report additional infusion time beyond the first hour for prolonged infusions
96365 | Intravenous infusion, for therapy, prophylaxis, or diagnostics, initial, up to 1 hour | May be used for non-chemotherapy therapeutic infusions or when payer directs use for biologic infusions
96366 | Intravenous infusion, each additional hour | Used when infusion extends beyond the initial hour for non-chemotherapy infusions
96521 | Refusal to treat — intravenous infusion service, per visit | Documentation code used when an infusion is scheduled but not administered due to patient refusal (administrative relevance)
36415 | Collection of venous blood by venipuncture | Often performed prior to infusion for baseline labs such as CMP, CBC, or PD-L1 testing verification