Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Belated Blog: New Path Codes for May 2019 CPT Meeting - Some Interesting Proposals

AMA CPT took code applications in mid-February for its mid-May meeting.

They very rapidly post the proposed Pathology/Lab codes for public comment.  Unfortunately, that pathology comment period was so rapid it had a deadline of March 8 (for requesting a code packet to comment on) and March 15 (for submitting said comment to AMA).

This is because lab codes are reviewed by some internal early subcommittees, long before the May meeting.  The regular CPT applications (outside the lab codes) are not even posted yet - they will go up March 16 - and they have a more leisurely comment schedule, to April 26.

With that apology, here is a link to the AMA CPT calendar, and here is a link to the May 9/10 code  agendaThe meeting will be in Chicago.


Most Interesting Proposal

As you read at this PDF link there is an application, Tab 7, for "non face to face review and MDM (medical decision management) of lab results." 

At first I read this as MTM - medication therapy management - but it's MDM, medical decision management.  However, I suppose MDM includes MTM.

Other Proposals

There are six drug assay applications, mostly monoclonal antibodies (e.g. adalimumab, infliximab).

There are two general cancer codes, one for "genome wide CN SNP array in neoplasia" (Tab 22) and one for "cytogenomic microarray in neoplasia" (Tab 24).  There is a genomic sequencing procedure (aka gene panel aka GSP) application for familial hypercholesterolemia (Tab 25).

There is also a GSP for "Lynch Syndrome," (Tab 26), not sure how that will be different than 81435, existing gene panel for colorectal cancer risk.

There is a GSP for "solid organ or hematolymphoid neoplasm," not sure how that differs from existing 81445, 81450, 81455.

There are a few MAAA codes, one for a 12-gene breast cancer recurrence score (Tab 28; I am guessing Myriad EndoPredict) and one for prostate cancer metastasis risk (Tab 29).

For a few additional lab codes see PDF linked above. Check the same link after March 17 to see the full code agenda including non-path codes.

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For Panel Actions (accept/reject) from Tucson, CPT February 2019, here.