As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of many aspects of medical care, the American Medical Association (AMA) has been adding Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code sets in order to streamline billing for previously unusual procedures that have now become commonplace.
The two latest additions to the CPT code sets – approved for immediate use – are CPT codes 99072 and 86413, according to a release on the AMA website. The new additions were recently approved by the CPT Editorial Panel, which the release describes as, “the independent body convened by the AMA with authority to expedite the review of proposed modifications and additions to the CPT code set.”
CPT code 86413 was created specifically for the latest development in SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests that allow medical practitioners to test antibodies quantitatively, and not just qualitatively, according to the release. The new tests enable the evaluation of how effective a treatment is by measuring the adaptive immune response.
CPT code 99072 addresses the measures that have had to be enacted by medical facilities and practices in order to continue providing care while mitigating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 spread, according to the release. The code covers a variety of related costs, including supplies and staff time, that come about as a result of, “provision of evaluation, treatment or procedural services during a public health emergency in a setting where extra precautions are taken to ensure the safety of patients as well as health care professionals.”
“The CPT code set continues to quickly adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic to streamline the reporting of innovative tools and services now available to help reduce the COVID-19 disease burden, improve health outcomes and reduce long-term care costs,” Dr. Susan R. Bailey, AMA president, said. “This update is the latest in a series of modifications to the CPT codes set to meet the needs of the health care industry as medical advancements expand the fight against COVID-19.”
