C9797 — Vascular embolization or occlusion procedure with use of a pressure-generating catheter (e.g., one-way valve, intermittently occluding), inclusive of all radiological supervision and interpretation, intraprocedural roadmapping, and imaging guidance necessary to complete the intervention; for tumors, organ ischemia, or infarction
C9797 is a HCPCS Level II code for vascular embolization or occlusion procedure with use of a pressure-generating catheter (e.g., one-way valve, intermittently occluding), inclusive of all radiological supervision and interpretation, intraprocedural roadmapping, and imaging guidance necessary to complete the intervention; for tumors, organ ischemia, or infarction. 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 C9797 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
- 1 unit MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Nature of Service/Procedure
- outpatient
- 1 unit MAI 3 — Date of Service Edit: Clinical · Nature of Service/Procedure
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 C9797
- Long descriptor
- Vascular embolization or occlusion procedure with use of a pressure-generating catheter (e.g., one-way valve, intermittently occluding), inclusive of all radiological supervision and interpretation, intraprocedural roadmapping, and imaging guidance necessary to complete the intervention; for tumors, organ ischemia, or infarction
- Short descriptor
- Vasc emb/occ w/prs cath
- Added
- January 1, 2024
- BETOS
- P1G
- Pricing indicator
- 53 — 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.
Statute.
Codes adjacent to C9797
HCPCS has no hierarchy — related items simply sit next to each other in the numbering. If C9797 is not quite right, the correct code is very often within a few positions of it.
- C9789Instillation of anti-neoplastic pharmacologic/biologic agent into renal pelvis, any method, including all imaging guidance, including volumetric measurement if performed
- C9790Histotripsy (i.e., non-thermal ablation via acoustic energy delivery) of malignant renal tissue, including image guidanceterminated
- C9791Magnetic resonance imaging with inhaled hyperpolarized xenon-129 contrast agent, chest, including preparation and administration of agent
- C9792Blinded or nonblinded procedure for symptomatic new york heart association (nyha) class ii, iii, iva heart failure; transcatheter implantation of left atrial to coronary sinus shunt using jugular vein access, including all imaging necessary to intra procedurally map the coronary sinus for optimal shunt placement (e.g., tee or ice ultrasound, fluoroscopy), performed under general anesthesia in an approved investigational device exemption (ide) study)
- C97933d predictive model generation for pre-planning of a cardiac procedure, using data from cardiac computed tomographic angiography and/or magnetic resonance imaging with report
- C9794Therapeutic radiology simulation-aided field setting; complex, including acquisition of pet and ct imaging data required for radiopharmaceutical-directed radiation therapy treatment planning (i.e., modeling)terminated
- C9795Stereotactic body radiation therapy, treatment delivery, per fraction to 1 or more lesions, including image guidance and real-time positron emissions-based delivery adjustments to 1 or more lesions, entire course not to exceed 5 fractionsterminated
- C9796Repair of enterocutaneous fistula small intestine or colon (excluding anorectal fistula) with plug (e.g., porcine small intestine submucosa [sis])
- C9800Dermal injection procedure(s) for facial lipodystrophy syndrome (lds) and provision of radiesse or sculptra dermal filler, including all items and suppliesterminated
- C9803Hospital outpatient clinic visit specimen collection for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (sars-cov-2) (coronavirus disease [covid-19]), any specimen sourceterminated
- C9804Elastomeric infusion pump (e.g., on-q* pump with bolus), including catheter and all disposable system components, non-opioid medical device (must be a qualifying medicare non-opioid medical device for post-surgical pain relief in accordance with section 4135 of the caa, 2023)
- C9806Rotary peristaltic infusion pump (e.g., ambit pump), including catheter and all disposable system components, non-opioid medical device (must be a qualifying medicare non-opioid medical device for post-surgical pain relief in accordance with section 4135 of the caa, 2023)
- C9807Nerve stimulator, percutaneous, peripheral (e.g., sprint peripheral nerve stimulation system), including electrode and all disposable system components, non-opioid medical device (must be a qualifying medicare non-opioid medical device for post-surgical pain relief in accordance with section 4135 of the caa, 2023)
- C9808Nerve cryoablation probe (e.g., cryoice, cryosphere, cryosphere max, cryoice cryosphere, cryoice cryo2), including probe and all disposable system components, non-opioid medical device (must be a qualifying medicare non-opioid medical device for post-surgical pain relief in accordance with section 4135 of the caa, 2023)
- C9809Cryoneurolysis needle (e.g., iovera system), including needle/tip and all disposable system components, non-opioid medical device (must be a qualifying medicare non-opioid medical device for post-surgical pain relief in accordance with section 4135 of the caa, 2023)
- C9810Water circulating motorized cold therapy device (e.g., iceman) including all system components (e.g. pads, console, disposable parts), non-opioid medical device (must be a qualifying medicare non-opioid medical device for post-surgical pain relief in accordance with section 4135 of the caa, 2023)
Questions about C9797
What is HCPCS code C9797?
C9797 is a HCPCS Level II code for vascular embolization or occlusion procedure with use of a pressure-generating catheter (e.g., one-way valve, intermittently occluding), inclusive of all radiological supervision and interpretation, intraprocedural roadmapping, and imaging guidance necessary to complete the intervention; for tumors, organ ischemia, or infarction. It sits in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System section.
Does Medicare cover C9797?
The CMS HCPCS file marks C9797 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.