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2018 CPC Practice Exam Answer Key 150 Questions With Full Rationale (HCPCS, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, CPT Codes) Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions with Full Rationale Answers

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Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions and answers with full rationale

Code Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine for Patients 6 Months to 5 Years

Pair admin code 0111A or 0112A with supply code 91311. Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for pediatric patients 6 months to 5 years old has been granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The effective date is June 17, 2022. Assign the Correct Code Pair The CPT® codes for administration of Moderna’s pediatric […]

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Code Colonoscopies With Precision

Accurate billing of these procedures requires attention to detail. Colonoscopy is a medical procedure in which the physician inserts a long, flexible, tubular instrument called a colonoscope into the patient’s anus to examine the lining of the entire colon for abnormalities and disease conditions. This type of test may be performed as a colorectal cancer […]

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Code C9507 for Convalescent Plasma

Expect a payment rate of $ 750.50 for this outpatient code. Medicare announced a new HCPCS Level II code for COVID-19 convalescent plasma for use in the outpatient setting. The effective date is Dec. 28, 2021. When to Use C9507 The effective date for C9507 Fresh frozen plasma, high titer COVID-19 convalescent, frozen within 8 hours […]

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Learn More About 2022 HCPCS Level II Code Changes

In first quarter 2022, the HCPCS Level II code set will get a refresh with several new, revised, and deleted codes. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), there are: 155 new codes, 63 revised codes, and 48 deleted codes. Medical coders and billers: Familiarize yourself now with these code changes so […]

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AAPC Knowledge Center

RAP Diagnosis Code, Service Date Instructions Change

Other claims system glitches fixed, with one still waiting. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to issue new rules to accommodate no-pay Request for Anticipated Payments (RAPs) and Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). Principal Diagnosis CMS has reissued Change Request (CR) 11855 and added a few new instructions about requests for anticipated payments. […]

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AMA Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Code for Janssen

A fourth COVID-19 vaccine code has been released by the American Medical Association’s CPT® Editorial Panel, along with a proprietary administration code.   The AMA released on Jan. 19, 2021, CPT® code 91303 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, DNA, spike protein, adenovirus type 26 (Ad26) vector, preservative free, 5×1010 […]

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MPFSDB October Update Clarifies Code Payment

Revised instructions indicate payment status for new CPT codes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued changes to the October update of the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database (MPFSDB) that you do not want to ignore. Among the revisions relayed in MLN Matters 11939, issued Oct. 27, are the anticipated payment […]

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Limit Your CPT® Code Set Updates to January? Here’s Why That’s a Bad Idea

CPT Code Updates January

Guest Post from Deborah Marsh, JD, MA, CPC, CHONC, a senior content specialist for TCI SuperCoder.

Payers don’t accept deleted CPT® codes, so your claims can’t succeed if your medical procedure codes are out of date. But do you know how often you need to update your CPT® code set? It may be more often than you think. Here are some pointers to keep in mind to give your claims their best chance at accurate payment.

Make the Biggest Transition with January Updates

Each year, a new CPT® code set is effective on January 1. For instance, for CPT® codes, 2018 codes will give way to the 2019 code set on Jan. 1, 2019.

If you use an online CPT® code search product, you’ll want to be sure that the updates are searchable January 1. It’s also helpful if the CPT® lookup includes deleted codes (marked with the deletion date) because you use the code set based on the date of service. You may need access to previous code sets to finish filing claims and for working on appeals.

Plan for These Other Regular CPT® Code Set Releases, Too

The AMA, which owns and maintains the CPT® code set, implements certain types of codes more than once a year. You should be aware of these updates and have a strategy for ensuring you have them when you need them. All specialties may see CPT® updates throughout the year, but path/lab coders need to watch for a few special categories that apply to them.

Category III and vaccine codes: Category I vaccine codes and Category III codes (temporary codes for emerging technology and services) are implemented January 1 and July 1. You’ll typically find them posted on the AMA site six months before the codes are effective, giving you time to learn how to apply them.

Category II: Category II codes are tracking codes that you may use for performance measurement programs, like MIPS. The AMA site indicates you may see release March 15, July 15, and November 15, with implementation three months after release.

Molecular pathology tier 2 codes: To help with reporting MoPath procedures, these codes go from approved to effective fairly quickly. After approval by the CPT® Editorial Panel, codes are released to the AMA site March 1, September 1, and December 1. The effective date may be as soon as one month after the release.

Administrative MAAA codes: Similar to the MoPath codes, Multianalyte Assays with Algorithmic Analyses (MAAA) see a quickened schedule. After Panel approval, the codes are released to the AMA site March 1, September 1, and December 1. The effective date is typically one month after release, although some codes are held until the major January 1 update.

PLA: The schedule for proprietary laboratory analyses (PLA) code changes is quarterly, but publication and effective dates have varied as this new-ish type of code got off the ground. For 2018, the effective dates are January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.

Tip: This schedule of updates throughout the year is one reason why having an online CPT® code lookup resource is a good idea. Whether it’s in addition to your paper manual or an alternative to it, automatically updated CPT® codes online ensure you have the correct codes available to you.

And Don’t Forget Corrections May Happen Any Time

The AMA posts an Errata and Technical Corrections file on its site, and you need to be sure you check it regularly or make sure your online code-lookup provider incorporates any corrections. Often the AMA posts corrections before code set implementation as people report issues they find while preparing for the transition. But updates and corrections may occur at any point in the year, so don’t assume you can let down your guard early in the year.

Bottom line: Healthcare providers need access to up-to-date CPT® codes to ensure their claims are accurate for the date of service reported. Keeping codes current isn’t as simple as updating once a year in January. Make a plan to update your coding resource or keep an eye on your online coding solution to be sure it’s doing the update work for you.

About the Author

Deborah Marsh, JD, MA, CPC, CHONC, is a senior content specialist for TCI SuperCoder, working on everything from online tool enhancements and data updates to social media and blog posts. Deborah joined TCI in 2004 as a member of TCI’s respected Coding Alert editorial team.

— This post Limit Your CPT® Code Set Updates to January? Here’s Why That’s a Bad Idea was written by Manny Oliverez and first appeared on CaptureBilling.com – Medical Billing Services. Capture Billing is a medical billing company helping medical practices get their insurance claims paid faster, easier and with less stress allowing doctors to focus on their patients.

CaptureBilling.com – Medical Billing Services

99000: The Little Code with Big Issues

For a code that has no relative value units (RVUs) and commands $ 0.00 in Medicare nonfacility fees, 99000 Handling and/or conveyance of specimen for transfer from the office to a laboratory has received a disproportionate amount of attention of late. Part of the reason for that lies in the role the American Medical Association (AMA) […]

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