Stay Up-to-Date on AMA & CPT News with Recently Released The CPT Quarterly Publication
Stay Up-to-Date on AMA & CPT News with Recently Released The CPT Quarterly Publication
CPT coders are familiar with the monthly publication CPT Assistant, but this year another AMA publication is offering an additional resource for CPT news: The CPT Quarterly. The AMA recently released the Q2 edition.
The new AMA publication includes articles on the expansion of telehealth adoption during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The article points out that for the last three years the use of telehealth doubled, with 2019 at 28% versus 14% in 2016. In the age of COVID-19, 48% of physicians are using telehealth for the first time. 90% of all physicians have now treated patients remotely. A vast majority of physicians (77%) support the shift towards telehealth. The AMA has created the Digital Medicine Payment Advisory Group (DMPAG); this group will develop practice resources for telehealth amid the pandemic and beyond.
In a related article, one of the CPT Editorial Panel members relayed information on the process of fast-tracking CPT codes for the pandemic. They also shared thoughts on expanding coding structures for telemedicine. The AMA’s Telehealth Implementation Playbook is available for download within the issue.
Another piece explores the patterns of change in the CPT code set from a micro and macro perspective. This includes the growth of Category I codes in the code set for non-surgical procedures, telemedicine and additions to the Medicine section. Additions of Category III temporary codes are also highlighted.
An article discussed the demonstration project between the AMA and SNOMED. This is to use both systems to integrate healthcare data and simplify analytics to strengthen care in health care systems. A final piece delved into the 2021 changes for E/M Office visits and updates need to systems in advance of the changes. This is particularly the case in electronic record systems. Click here to view the entire AMA news publication.
Additional Information
Our YES Blog keeps coders in compliance with the latest CPT news and updates (part 1 and part 2). If your coding team needs additional coding support or coding education, our team of coding and auditing consultants are ready to develop a customized plan for you. Contact YES today.
