tser05@yahoo.co.in
Contributor
New CPT codes for COVID-19 antigen and antibody testing
The American Medical Association released a new antigen testing code, CPT code 87426, for patients suspected of being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The AMA stated that "The new code is intended for use as the industry standard for accurate reporting and tracking of antigen tests using immunofluorescent or immunochromatographic technique for the detection of biomolecules produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus."
Two new antibody test codes were released effective August 10, 2020. CPT code 86408 is for reporting a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody screen and CPT code 86409 for reporting a neutralizing antibody titer. An additional new Category I code was released effective September 8, 2020. CPT code 86413 captures quantitative antibody detection for SARS-CoV-2. As COVID-19 testing continues to evolve, it is recommended to check the American Medical Association’s website to check for the most current coding updates at: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/cpt/cpt-releases-new-coronavirus-covid-19-code-description-testing.
The new codes with their respective code descriptors are listed in the table below.
Regards.
Dawa Tsering
The American Medical Association released a new antigen testing code, CPT code 87426, for patients suspected of being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The AMA stated that "The new code is intended for use as the industry standard for accurate reporting and tracking of antigen tests using immunofluorescent or immunochromatographic technique for the detection of biomolecules produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus."
Two new antibody test codes were released effective August 10, 2020. CPT code 86408 is for reporting a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody screen and CPT code 86409 for reporting a neutralizing antibody titer. An additional new Category I code was released effective September 8, 2020. CPT code 86413 captures quantitative antibody detection for SARS-CoV-2. As COVID-19 testing continues to evolve, it is recommended to check the American Medical Association’s website to check for the most current coding updates at: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/cpt/cpt-releases-new-coronavirus-covid-19-code-description-testing.
The new codes with their respective code descriptors are listed in the table below.
| CPT Code | Long Descriptor | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| 86408 | Neutralizing antibody, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]); screen | August 10, 2020 |
| 86409 | Neutralizing antibody, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]); titer | August 10, 2020 |
| 86413 | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) antibody, quantitative | September 8, 2020 |
| 87426 | Infectious agent antigen detection by immunoassay technique, (eg, enzyme immunoassay [EIA], enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], immunochemiluminometric assay [IMCA]) qualitative or semiquantitative, multiple-step method; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (eg, SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19]) | June 25, 2020 |
Regards.
Dawa Tsering