On March 13th American Medical Association (AMA) editorial panel published a special edition CPT Assistant Fact Sheet of which announced CPT code 87635 (infectious agent detection by nucleic acid [DNA or RNA]; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] [COVID-19], amplified probe technique) is now available for reporting the testing for COVID-19.
What your Facility/Laboratory Needs to know Now
1. CPT 87635 is available for reporting, effective immediately2. Charge Masters and Billing information should be updated at your organization in order for these to be reported
3. For Medicare claims, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established two new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for coronavirus testing:
- HCPCS code U0001 is used specifically for CDC testing laboratories to test patients for SARS-CoV-2 and to track new cases of the virus.
- HCPCS code U0002 is intended for laboratories to report non-CDC laboratory tests for SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19)
Source Citation: https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-03/cpt-assistant-guide-coronavirus.pdf
