Cigna: Glaucoma Surgery—Category III Codes 0449T & 0671T Cross‑Referenced (Apr 15, 2026)

Cigna’s April 15, 2026 revision cross-references Glaucoma Surgical Procedures within its Related Coverage Resources and explicitly maps Category III CPT codes 0449T and 0671T to those glaucoma policy references. The update does not change or provide standalone clinical coverage criteria, billing instructions, or authorization requirements for glaucoma surgery; it functions as an index linking those Category III codes to other policies where they may be considered medically necessary for specific indications. Providers should consult the listed related coverage policies for detailed medical necessity rules or coding guidance for procedures using 0449T and 0671T. The revision signals that emerging glaucoma procedures coded with Category III codes are being tracked centrally across Cigna’s policy network rather than addressed in this excerpt as a separate coverage policy.

This revision lists related coverage resources and explicitly identifies Glaucoma Surgical Procedures and associated Category III CPT codes as items considered in related coverage policies. The document references Category III CPT codes 0449T and 0671T as being relevant to glaucoma surgical procedures, indicating these codes are recognized within the network of related policies. No other explicit procedural coverage changes or altered criteria are stated in the provided excerpt.

The content emphasizes cross-referencing: several related coverage policies are enumerated and specific Category III codes are grouped with the named policies. The structure of this revision centers on acknowledging which Category III codes are considered medically necessary for select indications within the listed related coverage policies rather than detailing standalone coverage rules for glaucoma procedures.

The document lists a set of "Related Coverage Resources" that include Glaucoma Surgical Procedures among many other named policies (for example, Ambulatory External and Implantable Electrocardiographic Monitoring, Bariatric Surgery and Procedures, Breast Tumors, Transcatheter Heart Valve Procedures, and multiple CAR-T product policies). This indicates that glaucoma surgery is being positioned within a broader set of clinical coverage topics that the payer cross-references for clinical and coding guidance.

The excerpt contains an explicit list of Category III CPT codes mapped to specific related coverage policies. For Glaucoma Surgical Procedures, the listed Category III CPT codes are 0449T and 0671T. These codes are included in the section titled "Related Coverage Policies that consider specific Category III codes medically necessary for some indications," which indicates these Category III codes are recognized by the payer in at least some clinical contexts.

No additional CPT codes, billing instructions, or specific clinical criteria for glaucomasurgical coverage are included in the provided text. The listing is limited to acknowledging those Category III codes within the scope of related coverage policies.

The excerpt emphasizes cross-references to multiple specialty and condition-specific policies where Category III codes are considered. For example, the same Category III code groups (0537T–0540T) are repeatedly associated with several CAR-T and related cellular therapy policies such as Brexucabtagene autoleucel, Idecabtagene vicleucel, Lisocabtagene maraleucel, Tisagenlecleucel, and Yescarta, demonstrating a pattern of centralized listing of Category III codes across distinct clinical policies.

This approach suggests the payer uses an organized registry of related policies and Category III code mappings to indicate where limited or emerging procedures (often Category III codes) may be deemed medically necessary for particular indications. For glaucoma specifically, the mapping of 0449T and 0671T into that registry is the substantive linkage present in this excerpt.

The provided text does not include explicit clinical coverage criteria, limitations, or exclusions for Glaucoma Surgical Procedures beyond noting the related policy listing and the associated Category III CPT codes. There are no statements in the excerpt about medical necessity criteria, prior authorization requirements, patient selection, or outcome measures specific to glaucoma surgeries.

As presented, the document functions as an index or cross-reference pointing to other coverage resources and naming the Category III codes considered in related policies; it does not itself contain procedural coverage language or detailed rules for glaucoma surgical interventions in the provided section.

OpenPayer

April 15, 2026 Revision: Related Coverage and Category III Codes for Glaucoma

Placement of `Glaucoma Surgical Procedures` Among Related Coverage Resources

Impacted Billing Codes

Category III CPT Codes Associated with Glaucoma Surgical Procedures

Cross-Policy Mapping of Category III Codes and Implications for Emerging Procedures

Absence of Specific Clinical Coverage Criteria for Glaucoma Procedures in the Excerpt