The American Medical Association (AMA), through the CPT Editorial Panel, approved a new addition to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set that will help physicians bill for procedures performed to combat the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
The unique CPT code is to be used to report laboratory testing services that diagnose the presence of the novel coronavirus. The CPT code will help provide the data for analytics as testing to identify the incidence of the virus continues across the United States.
For quick reference, the new Category I CPT code and long descriptor are:
87635: “Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique.”
The code is immediately valid for use as the industry standard for reporting of tests for the novel coronavirus across the nation’s health care system.
Also, see a comprehensive guide provided by the California Medical Association on its COVID-19 resource page.
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