CCSD code M2920 – Endoscopic ureteric stent insertion/removal

Key takeaways

CCSD code M2920 covers endoscopic insertion or removal of a prosthesis, such as a stent, in the ureter.

Cystoscopy, bilateral work and any pyelography at the same session are already part of the code, so they don’t get their own lines.

CCSD lists M2920 and M2930, the removal-only code, as an unacceptable combination, so never bill both for one episode.

Pre-authorization, the patient’s membership number and a clear operation note do more to protect the claim than any coding trick.

CCSD guidance on combinations isn’t exhaustive, so check each insurer’s current rules before you submit through Healthcode.

CCSD code M2920 is the ureteric stent insertion and removal code

CCSD code M2920 is used when a surgeon inserts or removes a prosthesis in the ureter endoscopically. In everyday urology that prosthesis is usually a ureteric stent, placed through a cystoscope to keep urine draining from the kidney.

The code belongs to the CCSD schedule used by UK private medical insurers. Here are the details to confirm before M2920 goes on an invoice.

Quote the descriptor as written rather than paraphrasing it on the invoice. A loose description such as “stent change” leaves the insurer guessing which code you meant.

Cystoscopy, both sides and pyelography are already inside M2920

The bracket in the descriptor does a lot of work. It tells you which parts of the session the single M2920 line already pays for.

• Cystoscopy. The surgeon reaches the ureteric opening through the bladder, so the cystoscopy is part of M2920. Don’t add a separate cystoscopy code for the same session.
• Bilateral work. Stents placed or removed on both sides still make one M2920 line. Billing it twice, once per side, duplicates what the descriptor already includes.
• Pyelography, if done. The “+/-” means retrograde pyelography may or may not happen. Either way, contrast imaging of the ureter at that session sits inside M2920.
• Insertion or removal. The code covers placing a prosthesis, taking one out, or both endoscopically during one procedure.

If the operation note shows the surgeon also examined the ureter with a ureteroscope, pause before coding. Compare the note with CCSD code M3000 for endoscopic examination of the ureter and the insurer’s guidance.

M2920 or M2930? The operation note decides

Pick M2920 when the note describes endoscopic insertion, or insertion and removal together. M2930 has a narrower descriptor that names removal alone, so check it first for a removal-only procedure.

The unacceptable-combination rule matters most when a stent is swapped in one sitting. That exchange is one M2920 line, not M2920 for the new stent plus M2930 for the old one. See CCSD code M2930: Removal of prosthesis from ureter for the removal-only side.

Pre-authorization comes before the stent goes in

Get pre-authorization from the insurer before the procedure, not after it. A planned stent insertion is easy to authorize in advance, and a claim without an authorization number is likely to come back.

When you call or use the insurer’s portal, have these ready:

1. The patient’s membership number and the policy their cover sits under.
2. The consultant’s name and their recognition number with that insurer.
3. The proposed code, M2920, with its descriptor, and the hospital where the procedure takes place.
4. Somewhere to record the authorization number, the date and any conditions attached to it.

Emergency stents complicate this. A stent placed out of hours for an obstructed, infected kidney may happen before anyone can call. In that case, contact the insurer as soon as possible and note the reason for the delay.

How an M2920 claim moves from operation note to Healthcode

Most UK private claims for M2920 travel electronically through Healthcode to the insurer. The flow below follows one claim from the operation note to payment.

1. Read the operation note. Confirm insertion, removal or both, which side or sides, and whether pyelography was done.
2. Choose one code. Use M2920 once for the session, and check that M2930 isn’t on the same claim.
3. Build the invoice. Add the patient, consultant, date of treatment, insurer and agreed fee.
4. Add the authorization number. Copy it exactly as the insurer gave it, because a transposed digit fails validation.
5. Validate and send. Fix any field Healthcode flags, then submit and keep the transmission reference.
6. Track and reconcile. Watch the claim status and match the remittance to the invoice when payment lands.

Payment times and claim deadlines differ between insurers and change over time. Check the insurer’s current rules rather than relying on a figure you saw once. The Bupa CCSD codes guide covers how one major insurer uses the schedule.

What trips M2920 claims up at the insurer

Most returned M2920 claims fail on process, not on the code itself. These are the patterns to watch.

A worked example: One stent in, one stent out

Take an illustrative patient with a ureteric stone and a blocked left kidney. The consultant performs cystoscopy and retrograde pyelography, then places a left ureteric stent. The claim carries one M2920 line, with no separate cystoscopy or imaging code for that session.

The patient returns at a later admission for the stent to come out. That is a new episode with its own authorization. Compare the second operation note with both descriptors, then follow the insurer’s rules on which code applies.

Now change one detail. Suppose the surgeon removes the old stent and places a new one in the same sitting. The claim still carries one M2920 line, because the descriptor covers insertion and removal together.

Before you submit: a six-point M2920 checklist

• The operation note states insertion, removal or both, and which side or sides.
• M2920 appears once, and M2930 isn’t on the same claim.
• No separate cystoscopy or pyelography line has crept in for that session.
• The authorization number matches the insurer’s record, digit for digit.
• The patient’s membership number and the consultant’s recognition details are current.
• You’ve checked this insurer’s current rules on code combinations and fees.

Common coding mistakes with M2920

The checklist catches errors on the claim. These mistakes start earlier, when the code is chosen.

• Reading CCSD guidance as a full rulebook. CCSD guidance on combinations is not exhaustive. Each insurer decides which codes it accepts together.
• Coding from the operating list instead of the note. A booking that says “stent insertion” may end as an exchange or a ureteroscopy. Code what the surgeon recorded.
• Forgetting the second procedure. A stent placed now usually needs removal or exchange later. Without a reminder, that follow-up claim and its authorization slip.
• Copying a descriptor from an old invoice. Take the wording from the CCSD schedule each time, so a stale or wrong description doesn’t repeat.

For other codes in the same schedule, browse the CCSD codes library.

How Pabau keeps M2920 claims and stent follow-ups on track

Many urology practices still track authorizations in a spreadsheet and key claims into a separate portal. Numbers get retyped, and the reminder to bring a patient back for stent removal lives in someone’s head.

Pabau, the practice management platform we build, connects directly to Healthcode. Your team submits CCSD-coded claims from the patient record, and required fields such as membership and authorization numbers are checked before sending. Claim status and payment reconciliation then sit on the same record.

Add a recall to the patient record when the stent goes in. The removal appointment, its authorization and its claim then follow on time. Read more about claims management software in Pabau.

Send CCSD claims straight to Healthcode

Pabau submits CCSD-coded claims from the patient record, checks required fields before sending and tracks each claim to payment.

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Conclusion

M2920 is a ureter code, and its descriptor already bundles the cystoscopy, both sides and any pyelography. Code it once per session, keep M2930 off the same claim, and let the operation note make the call.

The bigger risk sits around the code. An authorization taken late, or a stent removal nobody scheduled, costs more than a wrong digit. Build the follow-up into your process the day the stent goes in.

Book a demo to see how Pabau sends M2920 claims to Healthcode and keeps stent follow-ups on schedule.

Continue your research

Billing a stent removal on its own? CCSD code M2930: Removal of prosthesis from ureter covers the removal-only code that can’t sit beside M2920.

Did the surgeon also scope the ureter? CCSD code M3000: Endoscopic examination of ureter explains the ureteroscopy code and what it includes.

Coding a diagnostic look at the bladder? CCSD code M4510: Flexible cystoscopy walks through the standalone cystoscopy code.

Working with Bupa patients? Bupa CCSD codes sets out how Bupa uses the CCSD schedule for consultant billing.

Frequently asked questions