AMA CPT® Assistant - 2020 Issue 3 (March)
AMA Fact Sheet: Reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing (March 2020)
March Special Edition AMA Fact Sheet: Reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing Due to the emergent nature of the public health concern surrounding novel coronavirus testing, the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Editorial Panel convened a special meeting and approved a new, specific CPT code to describe laboratory testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Note: Per the World Health Organization, the official name of the virus is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), while the name of the disease it causes is coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The AMA expedited...
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Article Overview
This March 2020 AMA fact sheet explains the scope of new CPT and HCPCS Level II reporting options for SARS-CoV-2 laboratory testing, along with related CMS and CDC references. It is intended for coders, billers, laboratory staff, and other healthcare professionals who needed early-pandemic guidance on how the new testing code fit within broader reporting, payer, and specimen-testing scenarios.
Why This Topic Matters
The article captures early COVID-19 coding and reporting guidance that affected laboratory claims, payer alignment, and public health tracking during the initial rollout of SARS-CoV-2 testing codes.
Article Sections
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March Special Edition
Introductory publication context for the special edition fact sheet and its subject matter.
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AMA Fact Sheet: Reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing
Overview of the new laboratory testing reporting guidance discussed in the fact sheet and its publication timing.
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Microbiology
Placement of the new laboratory testing code within the CPT structure and related coding context.
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Clinical Example (87635)
A brief clinical scenario showing the type of patient presentation associated with the laboratory testing topic.
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Description of Procedure (87635)
General procedural discussion for specimen handling and laboratory testing workflow related to the article’s central topic.
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Questions and answers regarding SARS-CoV-2 testing
Frequently asked questions covering reporting availability, payer considerations, related code families, and specimen-reporting topics.
What You Will Learn
- How the article frames early SARS-CoV-2 laboratory testing guidance within CPT and HCPCS reporting.
- What general topics are covered about payer-specific reporting and claim submission considerations.
- How the fact sheet addresses relationships among newer and existing laboratory testing code families.
- What broad specimen-reporting issues are discussed in the article's question-and-answer section.
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Medical billers
- Clinical laboratory staff
- Compliance teams
- Healthcare providers
- Revenue cycle professionals
Codes Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
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