Healthcare News: AMA releases new CPT code for COVID-19

Why This Topic Matters

It helps healthcare organizations and coding professionals identify a new reporting option for COVID-19 testing and understand that additional supporting guidance is available from the AMA and CMS.

Article Sections

1. AMA announcement and effective date

   Introduces the expedited CPT code release and notes the general timing for when the code may be used. It also references the broader public health context for the update.

2. CPT code reporting guidance

   Summarizes the new CPT testing code and the article’s discussion of where it fits in the CPT manual. It also notes implementation considerations mentioned for hospitals, health systems, and laboratories.

3. CPT Assistant fact sheet and related HCPCS Level II codes

   Describes the companion AMA guidance and the related HCPCS Level II laboratory codes mentioned in the article. It also references CMS guidance as a supporting resource.

4. Related laboratory codes

   Lists additional CPT and HCPCS Level II laboratory codes referenced as potentially reportable in connection with the same general testing area. The article presents them as related code options without further detail.

5. Additional information referenced

   Notes that the fact sheet includes further supporting material such as clinical examples, procedure descriptions, and FAQs. This section points readers to the supplementary content mentioned by the article.