© Copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Superficial and/or ortho voltage radiation therapy is a specialized treatment that employs low dose energy ionizing radiation to target non-melanoma skin cancers, including basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, as well as recurrent keloids located on or near the skin's surface. This type of radiation therapy is particularly beneficial for patients who may not be suitable candidates for surgical interventions due to underlying medical conditions. The procedure utilizes two distinct energy ranges: superficial radiation therapy operates within 50-200 kV, allowing for penetration of approximately 5 mm into the skin, while ortho voltage radiation therapy functions within 200-500 kV, reaching depths of 4-6 cm. Both modalities can be administered in a physician's office setting without the need for anesthesia, making them accessible and convenient for patients. The treatment is characterized by its simplicity, safety, and precision, resulting in minimal side effects. It is especially advantageous for lesions located in challenging areas, such as the legs, scalp, or highly visible regions like the nose, where traditional excision may pose greater risks. A comprehensive treatment plan is tailored to each patient, taking into account the size and depth of the lesions, with the total radiation dose divided across multiple treatment sessions, typically administered 2-5 times per week until the complete dose is delivered. The CPT® Code 77401 is designated for reporting the delivery of superficial and/or ortho voltage radiation therapy to one or more skin sites or lesions on a per treatment day basis.
© Copyright 2025 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.
Superficial and/or ortho voltage radiation therapy is indicated for the following conditions:
The procedure for superficial and/or ortho voltage radiation therapy involves several key steps:
Post-procedure care for patients undergoing superficial and/or ortho voltage radiation therapy typically includes monitoring for any immediate side effects, such as skin irritation or redness at the treatment site. Patients are advised on proper skin care to promote healing and minimize discomfort. Follow-up appointments are scheduled to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment and to determine if additional sessions are necessary. It is important for patients to report any unusual symptoms or concerns to their healthcare provider promptly. Overall, the recovery process is generally straightforward, with most patients experiencing minimal downtime following each treatment session.
| Short Descr | RADIATION TX DELIVERY SUPFC | Medium Descr | RADIATION TX DELIVERY SUPERFICIAL&/ORTHO VOLTAGE | Long Descr | Radiation treatment delivery, superficial and/or ortho voltage, per day | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 3 - Technical Component Only Code | Multiple Procedures (51) | 0 - No payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 0 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Procedure or Service, Not Discounted when Multiple | ASC Payment Indicator | Radiology service paid separately when provided integral to a surgical procedure on ASC list; payment based on MPFS nonfacility PE RVUs. | Type of Service (TOS) | 6 - Therapeutic Radiology | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | P7A - Oncology - radiation therapy | MUE | 1 | CCS Clinical Classification | 211 - Therapeutic radiology |
| Q6 | Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | X4 | Episodic/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians who provide focused care on particular types of treatment limited to a defined period and circumstance; the patient has a problem, acute or chronic, that will be treated with surgery, radiation, or some other type of generally time-limited intervention; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the orthopedic surgeon performing a knee replacement and seeing the patient through the postoperative period | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | 76 | Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure | 79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.) | XU | Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | 51 | Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d). | 77 | Repeat procedure by another physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a basic procedure or service was repeated by another physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 77 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | GE | This service has been performed by a resident without the presence of a teaching physician under the primary care exception | SA | Nurse practitioner rendering service in collaboration with a physician | X2 | Continuous/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians whose expertise is needed for the ongoing management of a chronic disease or a condition that needs to be managed and followed with no planned endpoint to the relationship; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to: a rheumatologist taking care of the patient's rheumatoid arthritis longitudinally but not providing general primary care services | XE | Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter |
|
Date
|
Action
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-01 | Changed | Short and Medium Descriptions changed. |
| 2015-01-01 | Changed | Description Changed |
| 2013-01-01 | Changed | Medium Descriptor changed. |
| 1991-01-01 | Added | First appearance in code book in 1991. |
Get instant expert-level medical coding assistance.