AMA CPT® Assistant - 2005 Issue 12 (December)
Overview of Changes for CPT 2006 (December 2005)
December 2005 pages 1-2 Overview of Changes for CPT 2006 CPT 2006 is currently available. To help orient you to the new codebook, this issue and future issues of CPT Assistant will feature a series of in-depth articles highlighting many of the changes. This first article will provide a broad overview of the 2006 changes. Each year the CPT codebook is revised and updated to keep pace with new technologies and techniques and to revise or delete any outdated or evolving codes and/or guidelines. The process of updating the codebook is a considerable effort primarily supported by the CPT...
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Article Overview
This article gives a high-level orientation to the CPT 2006 codebook changes published in December 2005. It is aimed at coders, billers, auditors, and other healthcare professionals who need to understand which major sections of CPT were revised, what kinds of new code groups were introduced, and where the most notable guideline and appendix updates occurred. The discussion spans evaluation and management, anesthesia, surgery, radiology, pathology and laboratory, medicine, Category II, Category III, and appendices.
Why This Topic Matters
CPT annual updates can affect documentation review, code selection, reporting workflows, and internal education. This overview helps readers quickly identify which parts of the codebook changed in 2006 and which areas may require closer study in the full CPT changes publication.
Article Sections
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December 2005 pages 1-2
Introductory material providing a broad orientation to the CPT 2006 update cycle and the scope of the changes covered in the article.
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Evaluation and Management
A summary of significant revisions in the evaluation and management area, including deletions, replacements, and added service categories.
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Anesthesia
An overview of revisions affecting anesthesia services and related guideline updates in the 2006 codebook.
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Surgery
A high-level review of major surgery section changes across several subsections, including new code groups, deletions, revisions, and guideline updates.
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Radiology
A summary of changes in radiology coding, including revised imaging-related reporting and related section updates.
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Pathology and Laboratory
Coverage of updates to pathology and laboratory coding, including new assays, test series changes, and guideline revisions.
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Medicine
An overview of revisions in the medicine section, including infusion, injection, chemotherapy, sedation, vaccine, ophthalmology, and acupuncture updates.
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Category II Codes
A summary of Category II updates, including new measure-related additions and related modifier changes.
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Category III Codes
A high-level description of new, revised, and deleted Category III code series and related guidance.
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Appendices
A brief overview of new and revised appendices added as reference and coding resources for CPT 2006.
What You Will Learn
- Which major CPT sections changed for 2006
- What broad types of revisions were made across the codebook
- Which areas received new code groups or deleted code groups
- How the article frames guideline and appendix updates
- Which CPT sections may require follow-up review in the full codebook
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding auditors
- Billing specialists
- Compliance staff
- Physician practice administrators
- Healthcare educators
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
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