HCPCS Code C1719: Brachytherapy source, non-stranded

Key takeaways

HCPCS Code C1719 describes a brachytherapy source that is non-stranded and not high dose rate iridium-192 (non-HDR Ir-192)

C1719 is a C-series Level II HCPCS code used only in hospital outpatient (OPPS) and ambulatory surgical center (ASC) settings under Medicare

Isotope and dose rate, not strand type, distinguish C1716, C1717, and C1719: C1716 is gold-198, C1717 is high dose rate iridium-192, and C1719 is non-HDR iridium-192

CMS terminated C1718 effective June 30, 2007, and it is no longer billable; current iodine-125 sources use C2638 (stranded) or C2639 (non-stranded) instead

Practice management software like Pabau helps outpatient billing teams document brachytherapy source selection and link HCPCS codes to procedures, feeding the practice’s existing US billing workflow

HCPCS Code C1719 covers a brachytherapy source that is non-stranded and not high dose rate iridium-192 (non-HDR Ir-192). Billing it correctly means confirming both the isotope and the dose rate from the physics and operative record, not the strand configuration.

C1719 is one of three active codes in the C1716-C1719 range that look nearly identical on paper, so selecting the wrong one based on isotope or dose rate is a common source of claim denials and Medicare audit flags. This reference covers the full code description, OPPS and ASC payment indicators, 2025/2026 Medicare rates, billing guidelines, and applicable modifiers.

HCPCS Code C1719: definition and clinical description

HCPCS Code C1719 is a Level II HCPCS code maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It describes a brachytherapy source that is both non-stranded and not high dose rate iridium-192. Both conditions must be true to bill C1719 correctly.

C-series codes apply only to hospital outpatient and ASC settings under Medicare’s Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS). They are not valid for physician office billing. Understanding proper documentation and procedure-coding workflows for outpatient billing helps teams catch these placement errors before submission.

OPPS status indicator and APC assignment for C1719

Under Medicare’s Outpatient Prospective Payment System, each HCPCS code carries an OPPS status indicator that determines how CMS processes and pays the claim. For brachytherapy source codes including HCPCS Code C1719, the status indicator governs whether the item receives separate payment or CMS packages it into a larger procedure payment.

Because OPPS status indicators and APC assignments update annually, coders should check the current year’s values directly in the CMS OPPS Addendum B rather than relying on static reference sheets. C1719 carries no Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rate or RVU value, and a fee schedule lookup tool returns no result for this code.

Verifying HCPCS code status at the start of each calendar year is standard good practice for high-volume outpatient billing teams. Adding this check to your documentation and billing workflow prevents year-over-year errors from slipping through.

ASC payment indicator for C1719

Ambulatory surgical centers billing HCPCS Code C1719 follow the Medicare ASC payment system rather than OPPS. The ASC payment indicator signals whether a code is separately payable in that setting or excluded from ASC payment entirely.

ASC billers should note that the C17xx range of brachytherapy source codes usually falls under ASC payment indicator H2. This means Medicare pays for the source separately from the associated surgical procedure when the facility bills both together, at a rate based on the OPPS rate.

This can vary by annual CMS rulemaking, so always check the ASC payment indicator against the current CMS ASC Addendum AA file. Proper EHR billing integration allows outpatient billing teams to flag when a code’s ASC indicator changes year over year.

With software that manages claims, you can track which miscellaneous submissions clear and which need a more specific code.

2025 and 2026 Medicare fee schedule rates for C1719

Specific Medicare payment rates for HCPCS Code C1719 change annually with each OPPS final rule. Rather than citing a fixed dollar amount that may be outdated by the time you read this, coders should retrieve current rates directly from the official CMS source. The table below shows the rate structure.

For current 2025 and 2026 rate data, use CMS OPPS Addendum B (facility rates), the CMS ASC Addendum AA (ASC rates), or run the code through the CMS OPPS Pricer. C1719 has no MPFS rate or RVU value, so an MPFS-based lookup tool returns no result for this code — CMS prices it solely under OPPS and ASC.

Commercial payer rates differ a lot from Medicare benchmarks, and billers must check them through individual payer contracts. Never treat Medicare rates as equivalent to commercial reimbursement for brachytherapy sources.

C1719 billing guidelines and coding tips

Claim denials for HCPCS Code C1719 cluster around three failure points: wrong code selection within the C1716 to C1719 range, insufficient documentation of source type, and incorrect unit reporting. Getting these right requires both clinical and coding alignment.

• Bill per source unit. Bill C1719 per individual brachytherapy source unit used during the procedure. Report the quantity equal to the number of sources actually implanted, supported by operative documentation.
• Document isotope and dose rate clearly. The operative and physics record must identify both the isotope used (gold-198 for C1716, iridium-192 for C1717 and C1719) and, for iridium-192, the dose rate classification. An operative note that says only “brachytherapy implant” without isotope and dose rate gives a payer grounds for denial.
• Confirm non-HDR Ir-192. High dose rate iridium-192 sources code separately under C1717. If the source is low dose rate or pulse dose rate iridium-192, C1719 applies. Confirm dose rate classification with the radiation oncologist or physicist before billing.
• Facility billing only. C1719 is not valid for physician office claims. It applies only to hospital outpatient department and ASC facility fee billing.
• Verify coverage determination. Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) and National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) may impose additional criteria. Check with your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for applicable policy articles before the first claim.
• Coordinate with the technical component. The facility usually bills brachytherapy sources with the associated procedure codes (such as CPT radiation treatment delivery codes). Ensure the source code and procedure code combination is clinically consistent and documented.

Outpatient billing teams that handle radiation oncology procedures benefit from a standard documentation checklist tied to each brachytherapy case. Linking this to your intake and procedure forms ensures the clinical team captures strand type, dose rate, and source count at the point of care rather than chasing records later. The same habit carries over to codes like C1757.

Related brachytherapy source HCPCS codes: C1716 through C1719

Two variables distinguish C1716, C1717, and C1719: isotope (gold-198 versus iridium-192) and, for iridium-192 sources, dose rate (high dose rate versus non-high dose rate). All three describe non-stranded sources — strand type is not what separates them.

C1718 previously covered an iodine-125 source, but CMS terminated it effective June 30, 2007, and it is not a current billable code. This reference includes it below only to flag that coders should not use or compare it as a live code. The table below shows the distinctions.

The key difference for C1719 is iridium-192 at a non-high dose rate. An iridium-192 source at a high dose rate belongs to C1717 instead, and a gold-198 source belongs to C1716 — strand type doesn’t factor into any of these three. Confusing isotope or dose rate is the single most common error in brachytherapy source billing for this range.

Don’t reference C1718 as a current reference point. CMS deleted it in 2007, and coders now bill iodine-125 sources under C2638 (stranded) or C2639 (non-stranded), the pair where strand type is the distinguishing variable. Review the operative and physics records together before assigning any code across either range.

Outpatient practices managing oncology or radiology procedures can explore how practice management software supports billing accuracy across complex code sets.

Applicable modifiers for HCPCS Code C1719

Billers apply modifiers for HCPCS Code C1719 less often than for CPT procedure codes, but specific scenarios do require them. The table below lists modifiers that billers may come across in brachytherapy source claims.

Modifier requirements for C1719 can vary by MAC. Verify applicable modifier policies with your MAC’s Local Coverage Determination (LCD) or similar policy article before applying modifiers to a live claim. The PGM Billing lookup tool and the NLM Clinical Table Search can assist with checking codes.

Outpatient billing staff who manage multi-procedure radiation oncology cases.

Related HCPCS codes

• HCPCS code C1762 — Connective Tissue, Human
• HCPCS code C1720 — Deleted, bill C2640 or C2641 instead
• HCPCS Code C1721 — Cardioverter-defibrillator, dual chamber
• HCPCS code C1722 — Single-chamber defibrillator

How Pabau supports brachytherapy coding documentation

Outpatient radiation oncology teams billing C1719 usually juggle three separate records: the physics documentation confirming isotope and dose rate, the operative note confirming source count, and the billing system where the HCPCS code gets attached to the claim.

When those live in different places, the detail that justifies C1719 over C1716, C1717, or a stranded iodine-125 code gets lost between systems, which is what triggers the denials and audit flags outpatient billers run into.

Practice management software like Pabau keeps that record connected. Treatment notes, consent documentation, and code-to-procedure association can sit against one patient record, so the operative and physics detail that supports C1719 is already there when staff prepare a claim, instead of chasing it down from radiation oncology after the fact.

Pabau’s claims and billing tools don’t submit US Medicare OPPS or ASC claims directly. For US outpatient and ASC practices, Pabau’s role is keeping the documentation and code-to-procedure trail audit-ready, so it feeds cleanly into the practice’s existing US billing and claims submission workflow rather than replacing it.

The same document-to-code habit applies outside radiation oncology. A functional medicine practice tracking lab-linked billing codes and a sports medicine clinic documenting injury-specific procedure codes face the same need to keep clinical detail attached to the code before a claim goes out.

Keep brachytherapy documentation audit-ready

Pabau’s documentation tools help outpatient teams tie physics records, operative notes, and HCPCS code selection to one patient record, so the details that justify a code like C1719 are ready before a claim goes out.

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Conclusion

HCPCS Code C1719 is a precise code for a precise product: a brachytherapy source that is non-stranded and not high dose rate iridium-192. Getting it right means confirming both source details from the clinical record before billing, checking the current year’s OPPS and ASC payment indicators, and applying any MAC-required modifiers.

For outpatient practices handling radiation oncology billing with broader operations, keeping the physics and operative record connected to the code selected is what prevents the C1716/C1717/C1719 mix-ups that trigger denials. Book a demo to see how Pabau keeps brachytherapy documentation and code-to-procedure records audit-ready for your outpatient billing workflow.

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