C8957 — Intravenous infusion for therapy/diagnosis; initiation of prolonged infusion (more than 8 hours), requiring use of portable or implantable pump
C8957 is a HCPCS Level II code for intravenous infusion for therapy/diagnosis; initiation of prolonged infusion (more than 8 hours), requiring use of portable or implantable pump. It belongs to the Outpatient Prospective Payment System section. Whether Medicare pays it depends on the coverage rule below.
Medicare coverage: Special coverage instructions apply
There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.
From the coverage field of the CMS Alpha-Numeric HCPCS File, release 2026Q3-Jul. This states Medicare’s position on the code, not on your particular claim.
Medically Unlikely Edits — units per day
The most units of C8957 Medicare will pay on one date of service. Bill more on a single line and it is denied. The limit is not the same in every setting, so the row that matters is the one matching the claim you are building.
- practitioner
- 2 units MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
- outpatient
- 2 units MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · CMS Policy
The adjudication indicator decides whether exceeding the limit is worth appealing at all: MAI 1 is a line edit you can support with documentation, MAI 3 is a date-of-service edit that is also appealable, and MAI 2 is absolute — no documentation overrides it. CMS MUE 2026Q3.
The CMS record for C8957
- Long descriptor
- Intravenous infusion for therapy/diagnosis; initiation of prolonged infusion (more than 8 hours), requiring use of portable or implantable pump
- Short descriptor
- Prolonged iv inf, req pump
- Added
- January 1, 2006
- BETOS
- P6D
- Pricing indicator
- 99 — Other
The official wording. This is what the code means.
CMS's 28-character form, which is what shows up on a remittance advice.
When CMS introduced the code.
Berenson-Eggers Type of Service — CMS's own analytic grouping.
Value not established.
Codes adjacent to C8957
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If C8957 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- C8930Transthoracic echocardiography, with contrast, or without contrast followed by with contrast, real-time with image documentation (2d), includes m-mode recording, when performed, during rest and cardiovascular stress test using treadmill, bicycle exercise and/or pharmacologically induced stress, with interpretation and report; including performance of continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, with physician supervision
- C8931Magnetic resonance angiography with contrast, spinal canal and contents
- C8932Magnetic resonance angiography without contrast, spinal canal and contents
- C8933Magnetic resonance angiography without contrast followed by with contrast, spinal canal and contents
- C8934Magnetic resonance angiography with contrast, upper extremity
- C8935Magnetic resonance angiography without contrast, upper extremity
- C8936Magnetic resonance angiography without contrast followed by with contrast, upper extremity
- C8937Computer-aided detection, including computer algorithm analysis of breast mri image data for lesion detection/characterization, pharmacokinetic analysis, with further physician review for interpretation (list separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
- C9014Injection, cerliponase alfa, 1 mgterminated
- C9015Injection, c-1 esterase inhibitor (human), haegarda, 10 unitsterminated
- C9016Injection, triptorelin extended release, 3.75 mgterminated
- C9021Injection, obinutuzumab, 10 mgterminated
- C9022Injection, elosulfase alfa, 1mgterminated
- C9023Injection, testosterone undecanoate, 1 mgterminated
- C9024Injection, liposomal, 1 mg daunorubicin and 2.27 mg cytarabineterminated
- C9025Injection, ramucirumab, 5 mgterminated
Questions about C8957
What is HCPCS code C8957?
C8957 is a HCPCS Level II code for intravenous infusion for therapy/diagnosis; initiation of prolonged infusion (more than 8 hours), requiring use of portable or implantable pump. It sits in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System section.
Does Medicare cover C8957?
The CMS HCPCS file marks C8957 as "Special coverage instructions apply". There are published conditions attached to this code. Check the applicable coverage policy before billing it: the code being valid is not the same as the service being covered.