Summary & Overview
HCPCS Q2054: Lisocabtagene Maraleucel CAR-T Therapy
HCPCS Level II code Q2054 identifies lisocabtagene maraleucel, an autologous anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy product supplied as a therapeutic dose (up to 110 million CAR‑positive viable T cells) and includes leukapheresis and dose preparation. This code matters nationally as CAR‑T therapies are high-cost, site-specific oncology treatments with significant implications for hospital billing, payer coverage policies, and specialty pharmacy or cellular therapy program operations.
Key payers considered in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare and Medicare. Readers will find a concise briefing on the clinical service represented by the code, typical sites of service, and the payer universe referenced in this publication. The report also outlines what to expect from benchmarking and policy-focused sections: national reimbursement context, utilization and billing considerations for hospitals and specialty infusion centers, and connections to coding and coverage processes for advanced cellular therapies. Data not available in the input will be noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code Q2054 describes lisocabtagene maraleucel, a personalized autologous CAR-T cell therapy product. The full description is: lisocabtagene maraleucel, up to 110 million autologous anti-cd19 CAR-positive viable T cells, including leukapheresis and dose preparation procedures, per therapeutic dose.
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Service type: Autologous cellular immunotherapy product with included leukapheresis and dose preparation procedures
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Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or hospital outpatient setting and specialized infusion or cellular therapy centers where leukapheresis and CAR-T dose preparation and administration are performed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancy, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, who has exhausted standard chemoimmunotherapy and is eligible for autologous CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy. The clinical workflow begins with referral to a specialized cellular therapy program. Pre-treatment evaluation includes disease staging, performance status assessment, organ function testing, infectious disease screening, and evaluation for comorbidities. Leukapheresis is scheduled to collect the patient’s peripheral blood mononuclear cells for manufacturing of Q2054 (lisocabtagene maraleucel). Bridging therapy may be administered as needed while the CAR T product is manufactured.
On the day of leukapheresis, the patient undergoes apheresis in an outpatient infusion center or hospital blood bank with oncology apheresis nursing and transfusion medicine oversight. The collected cells are shipped to the manufacturer for T‑cell selection, transduction, and expansion. Prior to infusion of the final autologous product, the patient typically receives lymphodepleting chemotherapy (for example, fludarabine/cyclophosphamide) in an inpatient or outpatient oncology infusion setting depending on institutional practice and patient risk. The therapeutic dose of Q2054 is administered under close monitoring in a hospital or specialized outpatient infusion center with immediate access to critical care. Post-infusion monitoring focuses on early detection and management of cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. Follow-up includes serial laboratory testing, imaging as indicated for disease response, and long-term surveillance for late effects.
Typical site of service: inpatient hospital or hospital-affiliated outpatient infusion center with cellular therapy program and apheresis suite.
Service type: autologous CAR T-cell therapy product (including leukapheresis collection and dose preparation) supplied as a single therapeutic dose of lisocabtagene maraleucel, up to 110 million viable CAR‑positive T cells, with associated handling and preparation procedures.