As of 2025, dedicated CPT codes recognize the added work of MRI safety assessment for patients with implants or retained foreign bodies — creating a clearer framework for documentation and reimbursement.
MRI safety work for patients with implants or retained foreign bodies often requires substantially more effort than routine MRI screening. That can include identifying the exact device, reviewing manufacturer conditions, documenting MRI restrictions, determining whether risk is acceptable, adjusting scan parameters, or preparing the implant before imaging.
As of 2025, dedicated CPT codes now recognize that added work. These codes are intended for cases where the MRI safety team performs work beyond routine MRI screening for patients with implants or foreign bodies that create elevated MRI safety concerns.
For imaging departments, that matters for two reasons:
NordInsight helps teams handle this seamlessly by structuring implant review, documentation, decision support, and reporting in one workflow.
MRI safety CPT codes are a set of codes designed to report the extra clinical and technical work involved in preparing certain patients with implants or foreign bodies for MRI. They are not meant for routine screening performed on every MRI patient. They apply when the case requires added assessment, additional time, a physician or QHP risk determination, protocol customization, device preparation, or implant immobilization.
CPT 76014 through 76019
This code is used for the initial work of assessing an implant or foreign body, typically performed by an MR technologist. It generally includes tasks such as:
This is a time-based code covering the first 15 minutes of assessment work. The AJNR guide notes it can be reported once the midpoint has been passed.
Typical use case
A technologist researches a spinal stimulator or bladder stimulator before the exam, verifies the model, checks the manufacturer's MRI conditions, and documents the scan requirements.
This code is an add-on to 76014 when the assessment takes longer due to complexity. According to the AJNR guide:
Typical use case
A patient has incomplete implant records, outside documentation has to be retrieved, or multiple devices need to be researched and reconciled before MRI.
Used when the case requires a formal risk-benefit determination by a radiologist or MRI safety-trained QHP. Not for routine cases — intended for situations where:
Documentation should include the clinical scenario, risk-benefit analysis, alternative diagnostic tests, and recommendations to mitigate risk. In some cases, 76016 may result in a recommendation not to scan.
Typical use case
A radiologist reviews a complex implant scenario, ballistic fragment, abandoned lead, or unclear MRI labeling and determines whether MRI should proceed, under what conditions, or whether alternative imaging is safer.
Used when the MRI protocol must be customized to address implant-related safety concerns. Typically involves a medical physicist and/or MRI safety expert working with the supervising physician. Applies when scan parameters must be adjusted to comply with implant conditions while preserving diagnostic quality.
Typical use case
A patient with a neurostimulator or abandoned lead requires restricted scan parameters and customized MRI conditions based on a medical physics review.
Used when the MR team performs same-day preparation of an implanted electronic device, such as putting a device into MRI mode or adjusting settings per manufacturer instructions.
Typical use case
A cardiac implanted electronic device or neurostimulator must be placed in MRI-safe mode before the scan and returned appropriately afterward.
Used when an implant must be positioned, stabilized, partially removed, or immobilized before MRI to meet safety requirements. Performed on the day of the exam under physician or QHP supervision. Documentation is required.
Typical use case
A cochlear implant requires immobilization before MRI according to manufacturer instructions.
These codes are meant for cases that require extra MRI safety work beyond standard workflow. They should not be used for routine MRI screening. They apply to cases involving implants or foreign bodies requiring added assessment, specialized documentation, or workflow modifications.
A recurring theme in the AJNR guide is that documentation is essential. Reporting these codes requires the medical record to reflect:
That is where many departments struggle. The work may already be happening, but the documentation can be fragmented across phone calls, PDFs, implant registries, scanner notes, and radiologist decisions.
NordInsight helps MRI teams operationalize this process in a way that is structured, consistent, and scalable. With NordInsight, teams can:
Instead of treating CPT-related documentation as an extra administrative layer, NordInsight makes it part of the MRI safety workflow itself.
Request a custom ROI report to estimate how much reimbursement your organization could capture with a more structured MRI safety CPT workflow.