Medical Coding Updates
The AMA has released codes for the Janssen Pharmaceutica COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine administration (AMA, 2021). As this is a single-dose vaccine, only one administration code is necessary.
The Refresh With YES: COVID-19 ICD-10 Coding Learning Path gives coders the updated COVID-19 ICD-10-CM/PCS coding guidelines and advice. The ICD-10-CM course covers the FY 2021 COVID-19 coding updates, as well as the diagnosis coding issues for COVID-19.
The American Medical Association (AMA) announced 2021 CPT code set changes, with the organization stating 329 editorial changes, 206 new codes, 54 deletions, and 69 revisions (AMA, 2020). Many of the editorial changes are the result of the 2021 E/M office visit code revisions.
The Final Rule for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for calendar year 2021 was published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2020 (Federal Register, 2020). A synopsis was featured in an earlier article, “2021 Outpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule: See the Updates.”
Of all the patients who have recovered from COVID-19, 5-15% suffer from lingering symptoms that persist weeks and even months after they test negative for COVID-19. To help these recovered patients deal with their lingering symptoms, some healthcare organizations have developed post COVID 19 recovery programs.
The American Medical Association (AMA) released new codes for the anticipated COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca and University of Oxford (AMA, 2020). The codes will be available for use pending the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization for this vaccine.
Updates to the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes for January 1, 2021 include 27 new codes: 21 PCS and six CM codes. For the diagnosis codes, changes to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines were released on December 16, 2020, to reflect these six new codes.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their Final Rule for the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on December 1, 2020 (CMS, 2020). All eyes have been on the Final Rule for a finalization on the much-anticipated office/outpatient Evaluation and Management code updates.
A total of 27 new codes for COVID-19 related conditions, circumstances, and treatment – including approved monoclonal antibodies – will be implemented on January 1, 2021. This includes six ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes and 21 ICD-10-PCS procedure codes.
The Final Rule for Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS), which takes effect on January 1, 2021 was released on December 2 (CMS, 2020). The 2021 OPPS Final Rule includes updates to payment rates and changes to the APCs , including the addition of two new Comprehensive APCs (C-APCs).