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AMA Releases 2019 CPT Code Set

Posted by David Fong on Oct 12, 2018 3:44:47 PM

CPT Codes The American Medical Association (AMA) announced in early September the release of the 2019  Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set. There are 335 code changes in the new CPT edition reflecting the CPT Editorial Panel and the health care community’s combined annual effort to capture and describe the latest scientific and technological advances in medical, surgical and diagnostic services.

 

According to AMA President Barbara L. McAneny, M.D., “The CPT code set is the foundation upon which every element of the medical community -- doctors, hospitals, allied health professionals, laboratories and payers—can efficiently share accurate information about medical services.” She further commented that, “The latest annual changes to the CPT code set reflect new technological and scientific advancements available to mainstream clinical practice, and ensure the code set can fulfill its trusted role as the health system’s common language for reporting contemporary medical procedures. That’s why we believe CPT serves both as the language of medicine today and the code to its future.”

 

New CPT category I codes are effective for reporting as of January 1, 2019. Among this year’s important changes to CPT are code additions that reflect the tremendous potential of using connected health tools to better support clinicians in patient population health and care coordination services, and other novel delivery systems that are vital for improving the overall quality of health care. Additional CPT changes for 2019 include new and revised codes for skin biopsy, fine needle aspiration biopsy, adaptive behavior analysis, and central nervous system assessments including psychological and neuropsychological testing. 

 

 

If you need help with these new codes, Aviacode offers advanced medical coding solutions that guarantee accuracy and turnaround time. Our solutions are less costly and less hassle for practice managers, physicians, hospitals, health systems, providers and payers. You can use us as a temporary solution for eliminating backlogs or providing overflow coding coverage, or as a permanent transition of specific specialties or departments.

 

Aviacode uses the best credentialed and experienced coders in the industry. All our coders are AAPC or AHIMA certified, and they are continually working to improve their productivity and to stay on top of changes in rules and regulations – including this latest CPT code set -- through ongoing training.

 

We have skilled coding expertise in a number of chart types, including inpatient, outpatient, same-day surgery, emergency department, observation, ancillary, recurring, and diagnostic and interventional radiology. Our coders and auditors have deep experience from facility, pro-fee, and HCC / risk adjustment.

Topics: Medical Coding, AMA, CPT code