Medicare AdvantageBilling CodesMedium impact
MA09.009aa, Reimbursement for Radiopharmaceutical Agents
Independence Blue Cross·Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Oncology·Claims & Billing
Effective date
Jan 1, 2026
We identified it
Jun 19, 2026
Summary
Independence Blue Cross MA09.009aa policy was updated effective 01/01/2026 with CPT/HCPCS code changes: procedure code C9176 has been added and code Q9969 has been deleted. Billing teams must update systems to reflect these code changes for radiopharmaceutical agent reimbursement claims under Medicare Advantage plans.
Action Required
By 01/01/2026: Billing team must update billing software and claims processing systems to (1) ADD code C9176 to the eligible reimbursement list for radiopharmaceutical agents, and (2) DELETE code Q9969 from the policy to prevent improper billing. Update internal billing references and provider bulletins. Verify that all radiopharmaceutical claims submitted on or after 01/01/2026 use only active codes. Failure to remove Q9969 will result in claim denials for that code; failure to add C9176 may result in missed reimbursement opportunities when the code is clinically indicated.