Hospital > C-Codes for Spinal Devices

Hospitals are required to use C-codes to report certain drugs, biologicals and devices used in conjuction with outpatient procedures billed and paid for under the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS).

While there may be C-codes that are appropriate for describing a few of Medtronic Sofamor Danek's technologies, the technologies' indication and application in instrumented spine procedures precludes the assignment of a C-code to the products.

• C-codes report devices used in conjunction with outpatient procedures billed and paid for under Medicare HOPPS (outpatient procedures only).

• All instrumented spine procedures are on Medicare's "Inpatient List." The inpatient list specifies those services that are only paid when provided in an inpatient setting.

• Because instrumented spinal procedures are "inpatient only" and C-codes represent devices used in an outpatient setting, C-codes do not exist for MSD's products.