CPT 2006: The cupboard is bare this year for gastro-specific codes - one new and a few lab code changes, but say goodbye to follow-up inpatient consults, confirmatory consults

Why This Topic Matters

CPT annual updates can alter how common services are reported, especially when codes are deleted or replaced. For gastroenterology groups and coding staff, this article highlights changes that may affect routine charge capture, documentation review, and code-set familiarity for 2006.

Article Sections

1. Overview of CPT 2006 gastroenterology-related changes

   Introduces the main categories of CPT 2006 changes discussed in the article, including gastroenterology-specific additions and broader code revisions that may affect practice workflows.

2. New GI motility code

   Covers the addition of a gastroenterology motility service and the clinical context for this type of testing.

3. Conscious sedation code changes

   Summarizes the update to conscious sedation coding and the general structure of the revised service categories.

4. Deleted follow-up inpatient consults and other E/M revisions

   Describes the removal of several evaluation and management code groups and the related replacement categories discussed in the article.