AMA CPT® Assistant - 2020 Issue 5 (May)
Infectious Disease Testing for Bacterial or Viral Respiratory Tract Infection
May 2020 Special Edition Infectious Disease Testing for Bacterial or Viral Respiratory Tract Infection The American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Editorial Panel continues to address the rapidly evolving laboratory testing for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The Executive Committee of the CPT Editorial Panel has established a new proprietary laboratory analysis (PLA) code to describe a nucleic acid respiratory pathogen panel that includes SARS-CoV-2 as one of the specified targets of the panel. PLA codes describe proprietary clinical laboratory analysis tests that can be provided either by a sole-source laboratory or licensed or...
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Article Overview
This premium article covers a May 2020 AMA CPT update focused on respiratory infectious disease laboratory testing, including the addition of a new proprietary laboratory analysis entry and its placement within the CPT code set. It is intended for coding professionals, laboratory billing staff, and clinicians who need a high-level understanding of the article’s scope, the affected CPT content areas, and the type of procedural and clinical context discussed without exposing the premium guidance itself.
Why This Topic Matters
It helps readers determine whether the article is relevant to respiratory panel testing, CPT laboratory coding updates, and AMA guidance tied to evolving infectious disease diagnostics.
Article Sections
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May 2020 Special Edition
Introductory material identifying the publication timing and overall topic focus for this CPT update.
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Infectious Disease Testing for Bacterial or Viral Respiratory Tract Infection
Overview of the respiratory infectious disease testing topic, including the CPT and AMA context for the update.
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Proprietary Laboratory Analyses
Discussion of the proprietary laboratory analysis entry and its placement within the CPT code set and related appendix content.
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Clinical Example (0202U)
A brief clinical scenario illustrating the general type of patient presentation associated with the laboratory test.
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Description of Procedure (0202U)
Procedural context describing the general workflow and reporting context for the laboratory analysis.
What You Will Learn
- The article’s scope within respiratory infectious disease laboratory testing
- How the AMA and CPT Editorial Panel are involved in the update
- The general placement of proprietary laboratory analyses within CPT
- The kind of clinical and procedural context associated with the new laboratory entry
- How the article frames evolving guidance for respiratory pathogen testing
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Laboratory billing staff
- Compliance staff
- Pathology and laboratory professionals
- Clinicians involved in respiratory testing
Codes Discussed
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