The American Medical Association (AMA) has recently unveiled the eagerly anticipated 2024 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set, introducing several significant updates and innovations. This comprehensive code set, comprising 11,163 codes, encompasses 230 additions, 49 deletions, and 70 revisions, as detailed in an official AMA news release.
Among the noteworthy highlights of the 2024 CPT code set are the provisions related to COVID-19 immunizations. In a strategic move to simplify the reporting process for COVID-19 vaccinations, this code set consolidates over 50 existing immunization reporting codes into a more streamlined 17 (91300-91317). Furthermore, it introduces a novel code, 90480, designed to facilitate the reporting of the administration of any COVID-19 vaccine for any patient, effectively supplanting previously designated vaccine-specific administration codes.
The 2024 CPT code set also takes a forward-looking approach by incorporating provisional codes (91318-91322) tailored for monovalent Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, pending approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In a groundbreaking move, this iteration of the CPT code set marks a significant milestone by offering comprehensive descriptions of medical procedures and services in Spanish. This development is expected to benefit approximately 41 million Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States, effectively breaking down language barriers and fostering a more inclusive healthcare environment. As Lori Prestesater, AMA Senior Vice President of Health Solutions, expressed, “Providing approximately 41 million Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States with an easy-to-understand description of medical procedures and services can help build a more inclusive health care environment, where language is no longer a barrier and patients can actively engage in their own care.”
Additionally, the 2024 CPT code set introduces five new codes (90380, 90381, 90683, 90679, and 90678) in response to product-specific Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunizations. These codes aim to enhance tracking, reporting, and analysis for planning and allocation purposes, aligning with evolving healthcare needs.
In response to requests from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), certain evaluation and management (E/M) reporting codes have been revised to provide greater clarity. These revisions encompass the removal of time ranges from office or other outpatient visit codes (99202-99205, 99212-99215), aligning their format with other E/M codes. Additionally, the definition of the “substantive portion” of a split/shared E/M visit, where a physician and a non-physician practitioner collaborate to provide comprehensive care during the visit, has been clarified. Furthermore, guidance is provided for reporting hospital inpatient or observation care services and admission and discharge services when a patient’s stay spans two calendar dates, using codes 99234-99236.
The unveiling of the 2024 CPT code set underscores the AMA’s commitment to facilitating efficient healthcare reporting, accommodating diverse patient populations, and adapting to the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. These updates promise to enhance the accuracy, transparency, and accessibility of medical coding and billing processes for healthcare professionals and patients alike.
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