AMA CPT® Assistant - 2020 Issue 4 (April)
Reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing (April 2020)
April 2020 Special Edition Reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing Note:This article was recently published and posted to the AMA CPT website as a Special Edition. 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...
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Article Overview
This article covers the AMA’s April 2020 special-edition guidance on reporting laboratory testing related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. It explains the new CPT and HCPCS code landscape, identifies the organizations involved, and discusses general reporting considerations for laboratory claims, specimen-based testing, and payer-specific billing context. The article is useful for coders, billing staff, laboratorians, and compliance teams following early-pandemic testing guidance.
Why This Topic Matters
It helps readers determine whether the article applies to coronavirus laboratory testing workflows and understand which coding systems and organizations were part of the initial reporting guidance.
Article Sections
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April 2020 Special Edition
Introduces the special-edition context and the general subject of SARS-CoV-2 laboratory testing reporting.
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Reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing
Provides the main discussion of the AMA’s new laboratory testing reporting guidance and the related coding update context.
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Microbiology
Places the topic within the microbiology subsection and discusses the broader laboratory coding framework referenced by the article.
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Clinical Example (87635)
Presents a representative patient scenario tied to the laboratory testing service discussed in the article.
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Description of Procedure (87635)
Summarizes the specimen-handling and laboratory process discussion associated with the testing service.
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Question and Answer Guidance
Addresses common reporting questions about availability, payer considerations, related code families, and claim submission context.
What You Will Learn
- The organizations and code sets referenced in early SARS-CoV-2 laboratory testing guidance.
- How the article frames the new coronavirus testing code within the CPT and HCPCS environments.
- What general topics are covered in the Q&A portion of the article.
- How the article situates specimen-based laboratory testing within reporting and payer contexts.
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billing and reimbursement staff
- Clinical laboratory personnel
- Compliance teams
- Revenue cycle professionals
- Healthcare providers involved in COVID-19 testing
Codes Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
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