Are You Up to Speed With all the COVID-19-Related Codes?
Question: We’re trying to find out if we are up to date with the various codes regarding COVID-19 testing, screening, and vaccinations. What is the latest information? Kansas Subscriber Answer: There were numerous COVID-19-related coding changes that occurred throughout 2020 that, at the time of going to press, are still in effect. CPT® Changes Testing: Since March, the AMA has released codes for eight different COVID-19 tests and screens along with three codes that describe tests for COVID-19 in combination with other respiratory viruses. The AMA has also revised one other code and approved seven other proprietary laboratory analyses (PLA) codes. All codes are currently effective. (Source: www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-11/coronavirus-long-descriptors.pdf). Monoclonal antibodies and administration: The AMA has assigned codes Q0239 (Injection, bamlanivimab, 700 mg) and Q0243 (Injection, casirivimab and imdevimab, 2400 mg), along with codes M0239 (Intravenous infusion, bamlanivimab-xxxx, includes infusion and post administration monitoring) and M0243 (Intravenous infusion, casirivimab and imdevimab includes infusion and post administration monitoring) for their administration and monitoring. All codes are currently effective. Vaccines: The AMA has also released codes for two different vaccines: 91300 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, mRNA-LNP, spike protein, preservative free, 30 mcg/0.3mL dosage, diluent reconstituted, for intramuscular use) and 91301 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, mRNA-LNP, spike protein, preservative free, 100 mcg/0.5mL dosage, for intramuscular use), which you will use for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines respectively once they become available. You are instructed not to use current vaccine administration codes 90460/+90461 (Immunization administration through 18 years of age via any route of administration, with counseling …) or 90471/+90472 (Immunization administration …) with 91300 or 91301 unless a COVID-19 vaccine/toxoid product “and at least one vaccine/toxoid product from 90476-90749 are administered at the same encounter.” Instead, you will use 0001A (Immunization administration by intramuscular injection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine … first dose) and 0002A (… second dose) with 91300; and 0011A (… first dose) and 0012A (… second dose) with 91301. These vaccine and administration codes will only become “effective upon receiving emergency use authorization or approval from the Food and Drug Administration,” according to the AMA. ICD-10 Changes On December 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the introduction of six new COVID-19-related ICD-10 codes, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Three of them were new encounter codes: The addition of Z20.822 means that you will no longer need to use Z20.828 (Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable diseases) if your provider documents an encounter with a patient who may have come into contact with the COVID virus. Additionally, Z11.52 now replaces Z11.59 (Encounter for screening for other viral diseases), which previous CDC guidelines said should be used for an asymptomatic patient with no known exposure when test results are either negative or unknown. CDC also introduced three new codes “to identify conditions resulting from COVID-19.” They are: Of note here is code J12.82, which is a combination code that replaces CDC’s previous instruction to code pneumonia confirmed due to COVID-19 with U07.1 (COVID-19) and J12.89 (Other viral pneumonia). (Source: www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/icd/Announcement-New-ICD-code-for-coronavirus-19-508.pdf).
