Summary & Overview
HCPCS L8698: Miscellaneous Supply for Total Artificial Heart System
HCPCS Level II code L8698 identifies miscellaneous components, supplies, or accessories for use with a total artificial heart system. The code is used to bill for device parts that lack a more specific HCPCS descriptor, supporting the implantation, maintenance, or operation of total artificial heart systems. Nationally, this code matters because it captures costs and utilization for high-acuity cardiac device support that can vary across hospital and post-acute settings.
Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the code’s clinical scope and service context, payer coverage considerations, and what to expect in claims processing for miscellaneous components tied to total artificial hearts. The publication highlights how L8698 is applied across hospital inpatient and outpatient settings and in durable medical equipment workflows, and it outlines where readers can find benchmarks, coding guidance, and policy updates relevant to billing for non-specific device components.
The content provides clinical context for coders and revenue staff, summarizes typical sites of service, and directs readers to where benchmarking data and recent policy changes would be addressed. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code L8698 denotes a miscellaneous component, supply, or accessory for use with a total artificial heart system. This code covers individual parts or supplies that are not separately listed under specific HCPCS codes but are used in the care and maintenance of a total artificial heart.
Service type: Durable medical equipment component / supply for cardiovascular implantable device systems
Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, and specialized durable medical equipment settings associated with cardiac surgical and device management care
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old male with end-stage biventricular heart failure is admitted for implantation of a total artificial heart (TAH) as a bridge to transplant. During the implant hospitalization the surgical team uses a variety of components, accessories, and disposable supplies specific to the total artificial heart system (for example, drive-line connectors, external controller interfaces, tubing mounts, or sensor adapters). A TAH component coded to L8698 is provided when a miscellaneous or non‑listed supply or accessory directly used with the implanted TAH is required but does not have its own HCPCS code. The clinical workflow includes intraoperative use of the accessory, immediate postoperative device testing, device programming at bedside by perfusion or biomedical engineering, and documentation of the specific accessory used in the operative note, implant log, and supply charge record. Billing for L8698 is submitted by the hospital supply department or durable medical equipment (DME) vendor depending on whether the item is stocked for inpatient implant versus outpatient durable accessory replacement. Typical sites of service include the operating room, post‑anesthesia care unit, cardiac intensive care unit, and outpatient durable medical equipment setting for later accessory replacement.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services |