Overcoming Problems in Pulmonary Interventional Radiology Coding

What are the Keys to Unlocking success in Pulmonary Interventional Radiology Coding?

CPT® radiology and interventional radiology coders know that interventional radiology remains tough. The services can seem loaded with endless intricacies complete with opportunities for errors. Even more, the PFS 2024 Final Rule is ironclad, locking in reimbursement decreases barring any last-minute legislation that may spare stakeholders. Every coding reimbursement dollar is at stake, making accurate understanding more important than ever. Radiology will experience an overall three percent decrease, while interventional radiology will brace for an aggregate decrease of four percent. Expert guidance is the key to unlocking success in 2024. Pulmonary interventional radiology procedures and in particular arterial thrombectomy are areas targeted by our experts for review. The following tips come from our nationally renowned Interventional Radiology Coder, a recognized resource used by coders across the nation to overcome challenges faced in everyday scenarios while ensuring successful reimbursement and compliance.

Pulmonary Interventional Radiology Coding Tips for Complete Comprehension
  1. Arterial thrombectomy (37184–37186) does not have a correlating, specific S&I code that would be used in tandem. If other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures are performed with these procedures, code for them as well. Be mindful of modifier assignment. Codes are unilateral in nature.
  2. Assign code 37184 or 37185 when the physician knows from the beginning of the patient encounter that percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy is the treatment to be delivered.
  3. If code 37185 is submitted, it must be used in addition to code 37184.
  4. Report 37185 for treatment of thrombus for any and all subsequent vessel(s) within the same vascular family.
  5. Per Appendix L of the CPT® Manual, the pulmonary arteries are considered a single vascular family.
Tips for Pulmonary Arterial Stenting Coding
  1. Codes 33900–33904 include vascular access, all catheter, and guidewire manipulation, fluoroscopy to guide the intervention, any post-diagnostic angiography for roadmapping purposes, post-implant evaluation, stent positioning and balloon inflation for stent delivery, and radiologic supervision and interpretation of the intervention. Diagnostic cardiac catheterization with a diagnostic angiogram may be reported with the appropriate angiography codes if performed at the same session.
  2. Codes 33900–33904 do not include diagnostic right and left heart catheterization (93451–93453, 93456–93461, 93593–93598), diagnostic coronary angiography (93454–93461, 93563, 93564), or diagnostic angiography (93565–93568). These services may be separately reported in conjunction with codes 33900–33904, representing separate and distinct services from the pulmonary artery revascularization, if:
    • No prior study is available and a full diagnostic study is performed, or;
    • A prior study is available, but as documented in the medical record:
      • There is inadequate visualization of the anatomy and/or pathology, or;
      • The patient’s condition with respect to the clinical indication has changed since the prior study, or;
      • There is a clinical change during the procedure that requires new evaluation.
  1. Do not report codes 33900–33904 in conjunction with 76000, 93451–93461, 93563–93568, 93593, 93594, or 93596–93598 for catheterization and angiography services intrinsic to the procedure.
  2. Balloon angioplasty (92997, 92998) within the same target lesion as stent implant, either before or after the stent deployment, is not separately reported.
  3. For balloon angioplasty at the same session as codes 33900–33904, but for a separate distinct lesion or in a separate artery, see codes 92997, 92998.
  4. To report percutaneous pulmonary artery revascularization by stent placement in conjunction with diagnostic congenital cardiac catheterization, see codes 33900–33904.
  5. For transcatheter intracardiac shunt (TIS) creation by stent placement for congenital cardiac anomalies to establish effective intracardiac flow, see codes 33745, 33746.
These are not all the tips for comprehension.

As service volumes rebound and every dollar of reimbursement counts more than ever, it’s imperative to make sure your CPT® coding is correct and compliant. Master more IR coding topics and break down the complexity with our expert-infused Interventional Radiology Coder. Preorder today before prices rise on January 1st, 2024.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Bryan Nordley

Bryan Nordley is a seasoned professional writer, strategist, and researcher with over a decade’s worth of combined experience. Bryan launched his professional health writing career at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine, one of the top 30 faculty of medicine programs in the world, working under the School of Public Health as a communications assistant. From there, he expanded his expertise and knowledge into private healthcare and podiatry before taking the role of healthcare writer at MedLearn Media. Bryan is the lead writer for the MedLearn Publishing brand previously producing both the acclaimed radiology and laboratory compliance manager newsletter products, while currently writing the compliance questions of the week which reach over 10,000 subscribers, creating the MedLearn Publishing Insights blogs and collaborating with operations and nationally renowned subject matter experts, in addition to serving as an editor for a variety of MedLearn publications along with marketing initiatives. Bryan continues to keep his pulse on the latest healthcare industry news, analyzing and reporting with strategic insight.

Related Stories

Leave a Reply

Please log in to your account to comment on this article.

Featured Webcasts

Mastering Principal Diagnosis: Coding Precision, Medical Necessity, and Quality Impact

Mastering Principal Diagnosis: Coding Precision, Medical Necessity, and Quality Impact

Accurately determining the principal diagnosis is critical for compliant billing, appropriate reimbursement, and valid quality reporting — yet it remains one of the most subjective and error-prone areas in inpatient coding. In this expert-led session, Cheryl Ericson, RN, MS, CCDS, CDIP, demystifies the complexities of principal diagnosis assignment, bridging the gap between coding rules and clinical reality. Learn how to strengthen your organization’s coding accuracy, reduce denials, and ensure your documentation supports true medical necessity.

December 3, 2025

Proactive Denial Management: Data-Driven Strategies to Prevent Revenue Loss

Denials continue to delay reimbursement, increase administrative burden, and threaten financial stability across healthcare organizations. This essential webcast tackles the root causes—rising payer scrutiny, fragmented workflows, inconsistent documentation, and underused analytics—and offers proven, data-driven strategies to prevent and overturn denials. Attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen documentation and coding accuracy, engage clinicians effectively, and leverage predictive analytics and AI to identify risks before they impact revenue. Through real-world case examples and actionable guidance, this session empowers coding, CDI, and revenue cycle professionals to shift from reactive appeals to proactive denial prevention and revenue protection.

November 25, 2025
Sepsis: Bridging the Clinical Documentation and Coding Gap to Reduce Denials

Sepsis: Bridging the Clinical Documentation and Coding Gap to Reduce Denials

Sepsis remains one of the most frequently denied and contested diagnoses, creating costly revenue loss and compliance risks. In this webcast, Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, provides practical, real-world strategies to align documentation with coding guidelines, reconcile Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 definitions, and apply compliant queries. You’ll learn how to identify and address documentation gaps, strengthen provider engagement, and defend diagnoses against payer scrutiny—equipping you to protect reimbursement, improve SOI/ROM capture, and reduce audit vulnerability in this high-risk area.

September 24, 2025

Trending News

Featured Webcasts

Top 10 Audit Targets for 2026-2027 for Hospitals & Physicians: Protect Your Revenue

Stay ahead of the 2026-2027 audit surge with “Top 10 Audit Targets for 2026-2027 for Hospitals & Physicians: Protect Your Revenue,” a high-impact webcast led by Michael Calahan, PA, MBA. This concise session gives hospitals and physicians clear insight into the most likely federal audit targets, such as E/M services, split/shared and critical care, observation and admissions, device credits, and Two-Midnight Rule changes, and shows how to tighten documentation, coding, and internal processes to reduce denials, recoupments, and penalties. Attendees walk away with practical best practices to protect revenue, strengthen compliance, and better prepare their teams for inevitable audits.

January 29, 2026

AI in Claims Auditing: Turning Compliance Risks into Defensible Systems

As AI reshapes healthcare compliance, the risk of biased outputs and opaque decision-making grows. This webcast, led by Frank Cohen, delivers a practical Four-Pillar Governance Framework—Transparency, Accountability, Fairness, and Explainability—to help you govern AI-driven claim auditing with confidence. Learn how to identify and mitigate bias, implement robust human oversight, and document defensible AI review processes that regulators and auditors will accept. Discover concrete remedies, from rotation protocols to uncertainty scoring, and actionable steps to evaluate vendors before contracts are signed. In a regulatory landscape that moves faster than ever, gain the tools to stay compliant, defend your processes, and reduce liability while maintaining operational effectiveness.

January 13, 2026
Surviving Federal Audits for Inpatient Rehab Facility Services

Surviving Federal Audits for Inpatient Rehab Facility Services

Federal auditors are zeroing in on Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) and hospital rehab unit services, with OIG and CERT audits leading to millions in penalties—often due to documentation and administrative errors, not quality of care. Join compliance expert Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, to learn the five clinical “pillars” of IRF-PPS admissions, key documentation requirements, and real-life case lessons to help protect your revenue.

November 13, 2025

Trending News

CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 1 with code CYBER25

CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24