CommercialPrior AuthMedium impact
Strontium Chloride Sr-89 (CPB 0361, reviewed 2026-01-09)
Aetna·Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Nuclear Medicine +1 more·Medical Policy
Effective date
Jan 9, 2026
We identified it
Aug 17, 2026
Summary
Aetna has updated its clinical policy for Strontium Chloride Sr-89 (CPB 0361), effective immediately. This radiopharmaceutical is covered only for metastatic bone pain relief in cancer patients with bone metastases; all other indications remain experimental/investigational. Mandatory precertification is required for all commercial plans before administration.
Action Required
By January 9, 2026: (1) Billing team must implement mandatory precertification workflow for CPT 79101 (radiopharmaceutical therapy, IV) when billed with HCPCS A9600 (Strontium Sr-89) on Aetna commercial plans. (2) Update billing system to flag claims for precertification contact at (866) 752-7021 or fax (888) 267-3277 before claim submission. (3) Ensure all claims include ICD-10 diagnosis codes C40.00-C41.9 or C79.51-C79.52 (bone metastases); claims with other cancer diagnoses (C00.0-C39.9, C61, C79.49, C79.60-C96.9) will be denied as experimental. (4) Providers and nursing staff must document cancer diagnosis AND bone metastases presence in clinical notes to support medical necessity. (5) Implement 90-day minimum interval between repeated administrations in tracking system. Claims submitted without precertification or with non-bone metastasis diagnoses will be denied.