CPT® 2012: New Codes Abound for Skin Substitutes, Rhizotomy, Orthopedics

Why This Topic Matters

The update helps readers identify whether their practice areas are affected by the 2012 CPT revisions and where to look for changes in documentation, reporting, and code-set organization. It is especially relevant for teams tracking annual CPT updates across observation care, preventive services, spine, orthopedic, and skin substitute coding.

Article Sections

1. Observation Time Guidelines Could Help You Out

   Discusses the addition of typical time guidance for initial observation care and the broader coding context for those updates.

2. New 2012 Modifier May Not Mean Extra Pay

   Covers a newly appearing modifier in the 2012 manual and notes the related administrative and payer-context discussion.

3. Say Hello to New Rhizotomy Codes

   Reviews changes to the paravertebral facet joint nerve destruction code family and related reporting context.

4. Replace Your Arthrodesis Options

   Summarizes additions and revisions in the arthrodesis section for spine-related procedures.

5. Orthopedic Code Changes Abound

   Highlights updates affecting orthopedic practice, including injection and compression-system service code families.

6. Check Out New Skin Substitute Codes

   Describes the replacement of an older skin substitute-related code range with new integumentary procedure codes.