Healthcare experts, especially coding, should be aware of revisions to the CPT code set for 2022 provided by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Some improvements have been made to the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination. In the most recent update, eight COVID-19 vaccine codes were authorized. There is a tracker provided to assist with coding based on vaccination brand and dosage.
The vaccine-specific codes are among the 405 modifications to the 2022 code set. There are 249 new codes, 93 changes, and 63 removals in the updates.
How to account for the expansion of digital services
To report remote therapeutic monitoring, five new codes — 98975, 98976, 98977, 98980, and 98981 — will be provided, representing the growth in digital care services during the pandemic. These codes extend to the remote physiologic monitoring codes that were introduced in 2020, referring to numbers 99453, 99454, 99457, and 99458.
The new code set includes a taxonomy that promotes greater awareness and comprehension of approaches to patient care through the multiple digital medical services accessible for reporting.
According to the AMA, technology is still a driving force behind CPT code changes, with 43 percent of the most recent revisions connected with Category III codes (for developing technologies, services, and procedures) or the Proprietary Laboratory Analyses area.
Updates on care management protocols
The new codes also apply to primary care management, a Medicare program that began in 2020. Under that policy, reimbursement is accessible for the care management of patients with a single chronic disease, whereas previously, such services were only covered for patients with multiple chronic disorders.
The new codes — 99424, 99425, 99426, and 99427 — and adjustments to current codes for a better match with Medicare criteria, according to AMA.
Takeaway: More than 400 modifications from 2021 are included in the package, including new codes for primary care management.