Friday, July 10, 2020

Brief Blog: AMA Posts Lab Codes for Comment for October 1 AMA CPT Meeting

It seems like every time I turn around, AMA is posting for comment either lab codes for a PLA cycle (four times a year) or lab CPT codes for comment (3 times a year).

AMA Releases Lab Codes for October CPT Meeting

On July 8, AMA posted for comment lab CPT codes which will be voted on at the October 1-2, 2020 fall virtual CPT editorial meeting.  The home page for the meeting is here.

The codes are here:

You Can See the Code Applications and Comment, But Hurry

According to the CPT process calendar here, interested stakeholders can request a copy of the CPT applications by July 24, and must turnaround comments by July 31.  (For non lab codes, the comment starts July 31 and ends September 10).

The Codes in Play

There aren't too many codes in play this summer.  
  • 001XM - MAAA code for lymphoma, profiling 20 genes
  • 0564T elevated to Cat I code 88XX0 - cancer cytotoxicity assay
  • 815X0 - MAAA code for small bowel transplantation rejection
  • 81XX1 - Category 1 code for periprosthetic joint infection detection
  • Delete 0067U and elevate to 81XX0, a category I code for breast cancer risk
  • 815X1 - a MAAA code for oncology RNA sequencing (breast)
  • Deletion of legacy codes 80500, 80502 for clin path consults, and replace with a quartet of 4 codes (moderately complex, highly complex, prolonged, etc).
The deletion of a PLA code 0067U (Silbiotech 4-biomarker breast cancer risk test) in favor of a Cat I code caught my attention.  I thought AMA CPT had determined that PLA codes would remain PLA series codes (same code) and not be elevated to Category I codes.   Possibly some game is afoot here.  Or possibly, the application is erroneous.