Friday, October 25, 2019

Very Brief Blog: CMS releases Panel Actions from September 2019 AMA CPT Seattle Meeting

About a month after each AMA CPT public meeting, AMA releases summary actions of the panel.  They've just released the summary actions for the Seattle meeting in September.

Find them online here.

There were about 80 main agenda items and about 10 executive committee actions (merely editorial).  Using a word search function, I tallied 46 accepted proposals, 5 postponed, 18 withdrawn, and 13 rejected.   Applicants get feedback regarding association positions on their proposals, and typically most applicants withdraw if it is clear that major associations will vote down the item.  If we tally the "withdrawns" as "rejected," they would total 31.

On the lab side, a number of genes were lifted from CPT Tier 2 to Tier 1.  A gene panel code for epilepsy was withdrawn.  Several infectious agent applications were also withdrawn.  A new MAAA code was created for cutaneous melanoma (815XO).

Tidbits

Some of the Category I codes are revised for January 2020 instead of January 2021, even though this September meeting occurred after the 2020 book had gone to press.  New to me, and potentially a little confusing.

Since it was revised, my attention was drawn to process code 3170F, used when flow cytometry baseline studies are performed prior to initiating hem-onc therapy.