Summary & Overview
HCPCS Q9958: High Osmolar Iodinated Contrast, up to 149 mg/ml
HCPCS Level II code Q9958 designates high osmolar iodinated contrast material (up to 149 mg/ml iodine), billed per milliliter. The code captures the supply component of contrast-enhanced imaging and interventional procedures and matters nationally because contrast media are routine consumables that influence overall imaging episode cost, inventory management, and billing accuracy.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for use of high osmolar contrast, common sites of service, and how this supply-level code interacts with imaging procedure billing. The publication outlines typical benchmarking topics readers expect: unit pricing and reimbursement patterns, payer coverage considerations, and coding practice implications for itemized contrast claims.
The piece provides operational context for hospital outpatient departments, radiology centers, and interventional suites that administer iodinated contrast. It also summarizes where to locate additional policy details and notes where input data were not provided. Data not available in the input.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code Q9958 describes high osmolar contrast material, up to 149 mg/ml iodine concentration, per ml. This itemized supply code is used for billing the contrast agent itself rather than the imaging procedure.
Service type: Contrast media supply for diagnostic or interventional imaging procedures. Typical site of service: hospital outpatient departments, radiology or imaging centers, and interventional suites where iodinated contrast is administered for CT scans, angiography, or other radiographic studies.
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Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old patient with suspected peripheral arterial disease is scheduled for a diagnostic peripheral angiography in the hospital radiology department. The interventional radiologist orders high osmolar iodinated contrast media for intravascular injection because of institutional formulary availability and patient-specific factors. The patient has chronic kidney disease stage 3b; pre-procedure assessment includes review of renal function, informed consent documenting contrast risks, and consideration of hydration strategies. On the day of service the patient is brought to the angiography suite (inpatient or outpatient hospital setting) where vascular access is obtained, fluoroscopic guidance is used to image the target vessels, and Q9958 high osmolar contrast material (up to 149 mg/ml iodine concentration) is administered intra-arterially in measured milliliter increments. The procedure generates a separate supply charge for the contrast product billed with Q9958 per ml, documented by lot number and volume used. Post-procedure monitoring occurs in the recovery area with attention to renal function and access-site hemostasis.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier | Use when no special modifier applies to the service or supply |