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HCPCS C9600 · Level II · C code

C9600: Percutaneous transcatheter placement of drug eluting intracoronary stent(s), HCPCS Level II C code

Compiled from CMS files by the QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Data effective · Method: reference methodology · Report a data correction

Data currency: HCPCS Level II file: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI MUE tables: 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI PTP edits: v323r0 (2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS Addendum B: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); Medicare Coverage Database LCD export: MCD release October 8, 2026 (effective October 4, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update) for the HCPCS Level II file and NCCI MUE tables and NCCI PTP edits and OPPS Addendum B; weekly, every Thursday for the Medicare Coverage Database LCD export.

Key facts for C9600

Medicare payment
$11,794.23
OPPS rate, SI J1
Coverage code
D
special coverage instructions apply
Facility outpatient MUE
3
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI J1
Hospital Part B services paid through a comprehensive APC
NCCI PTP pairs
245
239 hospital outpatient
LCDs and articles
2 / 2

TL;DR

C9600 is a Level II code from the C section (hospital outpatient prospective payment system, temporary codes), in use since 2013: "Percutaneous transcatheter placement of drug eluting intracoronary stent(s), with coronary angioplasty when performed; single major coronary artery or branch". Hospital outpatient departments are paid $11,794.23 for C9600 under status indicator J1, APC 5193 (Level 3 Endovascular Procedures), minimum unadjusted copayment $2,358.85 (October 2026 Addendum B). MUE limits for C9600: practitioner 3 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 3 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). C9600 is a primary code for 8 add-on codes (0914T, 92972, 92973, 92974). In the NCCI PTP files v323r0 C9600 appears in 12 practitioner pairs as column 2 and 233 as column 1 (most often with 0659T, 0913T, 33500), and in 11 hospital outpatient pairs as column 2 and 228 as column 1. 2 active LCDs and 2 billing and coding articles list C9600 across 9 states: L33623 (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention), L34761 (Percutaneous Coronary Interventions), A56823, A57479. HCPCS record: BETOS P2F (major procedure, cardiovascular - other); pricing indicator 53; type of service 2 (surgery). Nearby codes: C9601, C9602, C9604, C9606.

C9600 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes C9600 as “Percutaneous transcatheter placement of drug eluting intracoronary stent(s), with coronary angioplasty when performed; single major coronary artery or branch”. It sits in the C section (hospital outpatient prospective payment system, temporary codes), listed with the other C codes. Although searches often call it the "C9600 CPT code", C9600 is a HCPCS Level II code maintained by CMS, not an AMA CPT code; both go in the same procedure-code field on the claim.

HCPCS file attributes of C9600
FieldValue
Short descriptorPerc drug-el cor stent sing
Added to HCPCS2013-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 2013-01-01
Coverage codeD: special coverage instructions apply
Pricing indicator53: statute
BETOS categoryP2F: major procedure, cardiovascular - other
Type of service2: surgery
Statute1833(t)

Medicare payment for C9600

Hospital outpatient departments are paid $11,794.23 for C9600 under status indicator J1, APC 5193 (Level 3 Endovascular Procedures), minimum unadjusted copayment $2,358.85 (October 2026 Addendum B). The amounts below are national figures from the October 2026 CMS files; the contractor applies the locality, rural or state adjustment and the beneficiary's cost sharing.

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator J1 (Hospital Part B services paid through a comprehensive APC), APC 5193 (Level 3 Endovascular Procedures), national unadjusted payment $11,794.23 with a minimum unadjusted copayment of $2,358.85.

Ambulatory surgical center (Addendum AA)

Payment indicator J8 (Device-intensive procedure; paid at adjusted rate), national rate $7,500.39 at a payment weight of 133.1698. The multiple-procedure discount applies when it is billed with another ASC procedure.

Medically Unlikely Edits for C9600

MUE limits for C9600: practitioner 3 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 3 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). The facility outpatient MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.

MUE values for C9600 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services33 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital33 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data

The MUE lookup for C9600 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

In the practitioner PTP file v323r0, C9600 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 12 active pairs, 100% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 233 (75% modifier-allowed); 30 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: CPT Manual or CMS manual coding instruction.

Column-1 codes most often paired with C9600 (practitioner)
Column-1 codePairs
0659T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0913T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33500 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33501 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33502 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33503 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33504 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33506 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
Column-2 codes bundled into C9600 (practitioner)
Column-2 codePairs
01924 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
01925 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
01926 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0213T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0216T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0596T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0597T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0632T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1

In the hospital outpatient PTP file v323r0, C9600 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 11 active pairs, 100% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 228 (100% modifier-allowed); 30 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: CPT Manual or CMS manual coding instruction.

Column-1 codes most often paired with C9600 (hospital outpatient)
Column-1 codePairs
0659T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0913T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33500 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33501 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33502 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33503 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33504 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
33506 (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
Column-2 codes bundled into C9600 (hospital outpatient)
Column-2 codePairs
0213T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0216T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0596T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0597T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0632T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0708T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0709T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1
0903T (CPT; descriptor licensed by AMA)1

C9600 is a designated primary code for 8 add-on codes (0914T, 92972, 92973, 92974, 92978, 93571, C9601, C9608).

Pair counts show exposure, not the answer for one claim. Check C9600 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for C9600

2 active Local Coverage Determinations and 2 billing and coding articles list C9600. Each applies only in its contractor's jurisdiction, and the article carries the diagnosis codes that support the item or service.

Billing and Coding Articles listing C9600
ArticleTitleContractor(s)Related LCD
A56823Billing and Coding: Percutaneous Coronary InterventionWellpoint Federal—
A57479Billing and Coding: Percutaneous Coronary InterventionsWisconsin Physicians Service Insurance CorporationL34598, L34761

Denials to expect on C9600

the diagnosis or documentation does not meet the LCD or billing article that lists C9600

units of C9600 exceed the facility outpatient MUE of 3 per date of service

the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code

the claim lacks information needed to adjudicate the line, such as an order, NPI or required modifier

Where QuickIntell fits for C9600 claims

QuickCode supports qualified coder review of units, modifiers and NCCI pairs for C9600 before the claim leaves, and QuickRCM carries claim readiness and the denial follow-up when an edit or coverage policy is missed.

Frequently asked questions: HCPCS C9600

What does HCPCS code C9600 describe?

"Percutaneous transcatheter placement of drug eluting intracoronary stent(s), with coronary angioplasty when performed; single major coronary artery or branch" (short descriptor "Perc drug-el cor stent sing"), in the C section (hospital outpatient prospective payment system, temporary codes). Added 2013-01-01.

Is C9600 a CPT code?

No: CMS maintains C9600 in HCPCS Level II, while the AMA maintains CPT. People do search "C9600 CPT code", and it goes in the same procedure-code field.

What does Medicare pay for C9600?

Hospital outpatient departments are paid $11,794.23 for C9600 under status indicator J1, APC 5193 (Level 3 Endovascular Procedures), minimum unadjusted copayment $2,358.85 (October 2026 Addendum B).

Is C9600 an add-on code?

C9600 is a primary code for 8 add-on codes (0914T, 92972, 92973, 92974).

How many units of C9600 can be billed per day?

MUE limits for C9600: practitioner 3 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 3 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). For the facility outpatient MUE (MAI 3), units above 3 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover C9600?

Coverage code D (special coverage instructions apply). 2 active LCDs and 2 billing and coding articles list C9600 across 9 states: L33623 (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention), L34761 (Percutaneous Coronary Interventions), A56823, A57479.

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-10. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions. The reference methodology explains how each figure is computed from these files.

Disclaimer

This page is an operational reference compiled from CMS publications: the HCPCS Level II file, the physician, DMEPOS and clinical laboratory fee schedules, OPPS and ASC addenda, NCCI MUE, PTP and add-on edit tables and the Medicare Coverage Database. Amounts are Medicare national figures before locality and state adjustment; Medicaid and commercial payers set their own. CPT codes are shown as numbers only; CPT descriptors are copyright AMA. Nothing here is legal, clinical or billing advice.

Found a figure that does not match the CMS file? Report a data correction with the CMS file and the value you expected; the request reaches the editorial team through the contact form.