Sigmoidoscopy and Colonoscopy Changes for 2015 (December 2014)

December 2014 pages 3-5 Sigmoidoscopy and Colonoscopy Changes for 2015 For Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) 2015, significant changes have been made in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy code set. These changes follow similar revisions that were made to the upper GI endoscopy codes in CPT 2014, and it marks the conclusion of a multiple-year effort to update the terminology of the GI endoscopy codes. Previously, all GI endoscopy family base codes contained the language, "diagnostic, with or without collection of specimen(s) by brushing or washing (separate procedure)." In CPT 2014, "with or without" was replaced with "including...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article explains the 2015 CPT changes for lower GI endoscopy coding, focusing on how sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy families were updated, reorganized, and clarified. It is useful for coders, CDI staff, billing teams, and GI practices that need to understand the scope of the revisions, the related guideline updates, and the affected procedure families discussed in the CPT Assistant overview.

Why This Topic Matters

The changes described affect how common lower GI endoscopy procedures are identified and tracked in the CPT code set, so coding and billing workflows need to recognize the updated terminology and the code families impacted by the 2015 revision cycle. Understanding the article helps users determine whether their current documentation and coding references align with the revised CPT structure.

Article Sections

  1. December 2014 pages 3-5

    Publication context and the overall scope of the CPT 2015 lower gastrointestinal endoscopy update are introduced here.

  2. New Definitions and Guidelines

    This section presents updated anatomic definitions and general reporting guidance for lower GI endoscopy procedures in CPT 2015.

  3. Sigmoidoscopy

    This section summarizes revisions affecting the flexible sigmoidoscopy family, including renamed or replaced code groupings and related coding updates.

  4. Ablation

    This section addresses bundled coding changes for ablation procedures within the sigmoidoscopy family.

  5. Placement of Stent

    This section covers bundled coding changes for stent placement within the sigmoidoscopy family.

  6. Endoscopic Mucosal Resection

    This section describes how endoscopic mucosal resection is reflected in the updated sigmoidoscopy code family.

  7. Band Ligation

    This section discusses the addition of band ligation coding within flexible sigmoidoscopy and related reporting considerations.

  8. Colonoscopy Overview

    This section introduces the colonoscopy-related revisions, including the decision tree reference added in CPT 2015.

  9. Ablation

    This section addresses bundled coding changes for ablation procedures within the colonoscopy family.

  10. Placement of Stent

    This section covers bundled coding changes for stent placement within the colonoscopy family.

  11. Endoscopic Mucosal Resection

    This section describes how endoscopic mucosal resection is reflected in the updated colonoscopy code family.

  12. Decompression of Colon

    This section summarizes the colon decompression code update and its relation to the broader colonoscopy family.

  13. Band Ligation

    This section discusses the addition of band ligation coding within colonoscopy and related reporting considerations.

  14. Revisions

    This section reviews broader descriptor revisions and specificity updates affecting selected colonoscopy codes.

What You Will Learn

  • How the CPT 2015 lower gastrointestinal endoscopy families were reorganized
  • Which general definitions and guidelines were added or revised for sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy
  • Which broad procedure categories were updated within the flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy families
  • How the article frames bundled service revisions and descriptor standardization
  • What types of colonoscopy reference material were added to the CPT 2015 overview

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • GI billing staff
  • Compliance teams
  • Clinical documentation specialists
  • Gastroenterology practices
  • Health information management professionals

Codes Discussed

Code Ranges Discussed

Modifiers Discussed


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