Cardiology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Delve into Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Specialty

Question: You recently featured an article about the new specialty physician code, C7, for advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. Can you tell me more about this specialty?

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Answer: If your cardiologist specializes in heart failure and transplant cardiology (C7), she has received further training in treating cardiovascular disease by focusing on managing advanced and complicated heart failure in a way that goes beyond what general internists and cardiologists can provide, according to the American College of Physicians (ACP).

Heart failure and transplant cardiology programs teach cardiologists to:

  • Treat patients who present with particularly challenging cases of heart failure
  • Use a variety of electrophysiologic and hemodynamic support devices
  • Perform complex percutaneous and surgical procedures
  • Evaluate prospective patients for heart transplants.