AMA CPT® Assistant - 1999 Issue 11 (November)
CPT 2000 Code and Guideline Changes: A Comprehensive Review (November 1999)
November 1999 page 1-end CPT 2000 Code and Guideline Changes: A Comprehensive Review It's that time of the year once again: when the season changes, baseball ends, football begins, and of course, the new CPT codes and guidelines are published. As we have done in the past, we present to you a complete review of the changes with a brief rationale for each change. As they appear in the CPT book, we identify new codes with a , revised codes with a , add-on codes with a symbol, and modifier -51 exempt codes with a symbol. Revised text appears as indented...
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Article Overview
This article reviews the CPT 2000 updates published in November 1999, with broad coverage of guideline revisions, new and revised procedure codes, relocated and deleted codes, and related cross-references across many specialties. It is relevant to coders, billers, compliance staff, and clinicians who need a high-level understanding of how the annual CPT update affects documentation and code selection workflows.
Why This Topic Matters
Annual CPT revisions can affect documentation practices, code lookup, and procedure reporting across multiple service lines. Understanding the scope of these updates helps coding professionals identify which sections of the code set changed and where to consult the full article for detailed guidance.
Article Sections
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November 1999 page 1-end
Opening material that frames the annual CPT update and explains the article’s approach to summarizing changes.
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Evaluation and Management Services Guidelines
Revisions to general E/M guidance and consultation-related documentation concepts.
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Emergency Department Services
Updates affecting emergency department service definitions and related clarification notes.
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Critical Care Services
Changes to critical care guidance, time concepts, and related neonatal distinctions.
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Neonatal Intensive Care
Revisions addressing neonatal critical care reporting and associated procedural references.
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Preventive Medicine Services
Clarifications related to preventive medicine services and separately reported preventive-related items.
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Anesthesia
Extensive anesthesia code revisions, deletions, relocations, and guideline updates across multiple anatomic areas.
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Surgery Guidelines
General surgery guideline changes, including starred procedure reporting and modifier guidance.
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Surgery
Procedure updates across multiple surgical subsections, including integumentary, musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, and genitourinary areas.
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Hemic and Lymphatic Systems
Updates affecting spleen, lymphatic, and transplantation-related services, including relocated laparoscopy content.
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Mediastinum and Diaphragm
New and revised codes for diaphragm-related resection and repair services.
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Digestive System
Revisions affecting esophageal, gastric, intestinal, appendiceal, biliary, and peritoneal laparoscopic procedures.
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Urinary System
Updates to kidney, ureter, bladder, and related laparoscopic procedures and cross-references.
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Male Genital System
Changes involving penile, testicular, and spermatic cord procedures, including laparoscopic entries.
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Female Genital System
Cross-references and laparoscopic guidance related to gynecologic procedures.
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Corpus Uteri
Relocated laparoscopy and hysteroscopy procedures for uterine services and associated unlisted codes.
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Oviduct/Ovary
Laparoscopic and open procedures involving the fallopian tubes and ovaries, including related repair services.
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Ovary
Ovarian excision guidance and related cross-references.
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In Vitro Fertilization
Revisions affecting assisted reproduction-related laparoscopic and hysteroscopic cross-references.
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Maternity Care and Delivery
Updates to maternity-related laparoscopic procedure reporting and unlisted code guidance.
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Endocrine System
Laparoscopic adrenal and endocrine system updates, including new unlisted procedure guidance.
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Nervous System
Revisions for stereotaxis, neurostimulators, and spinal injection guidance.
What You Will Learn
- How the CPT 2000 update was organized across major sections of the code set.
- Which broad guideline areas were revised for evaluation and management, anesthesia, surgery, and other specialties.
- Where new, revised, relocated, and deleted code families were introduced in the annual update.
- How the article frames documentation and cross-reference changes at a high level.
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Compliance professionals
- Physician practices
- Health information management professionals
- Clinical documentation staff
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
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