Medicare AdvantageBilling CodesMedium impact
MA11.011i, Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)
Independence Blue Cross·NJ · Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiology, Critical Care +1 more·Medical Policy
Effective date
Oct 1, 2026
We identified it
Oct 2, 2026
Summary
Independence Blue Cross updated VAD policy MA11.011i with ICD-10 code changes effective 10/01/2026, replacing nine outdated diagnosis codes with nine more specific codes reflecting current cardiac condition classifications. Additionally, the policy reaffirms requirement that VAD patients must be managed by an explicitly identified multidisciplinary team at approved facilities.
Action Required
By September 15, 2026: Billing team must update billing system and EMR to discontinue use of terminated ICD-10 codes (I42.0, I42.8, I49.8) and map claims to the nine new granular ICD-10 codes (I42.00, I42.01, I42.09, I42.81, I42.89, I47.22, I49.81, I49.82, I49.89). Update encounter templates and claim scrubbing rules to reject any claims using the old codes after 10/01/2026. Notify providers of required diagnosis code changes. Verify that all VAD procedures (CPT 33975-33982) and VAD supply codes (Q0477-Q0481) are linked to approved facility information in the system. Claims submitted with terminated ICD-10 codes will be denied or rejected after the effective date.