Has the AMA created new CPT codes related to COVID-19 antibody and virus testing?
Yes. On August 11, 2020, the AMA announced the creation of four new CPT codes related to COVID-19 testing; CPTs 86408, 86409, 0225U and 0226U. Per the AMA, CPTs 86408 and 86409 are to be used for COVID-19 neutralizing antibody screening (CPT 86408) and titer testing (CPT 86409) respectively. New PLA code 0225U is to be reported for the ePlex Respiratory Pathogen Panel 2 test developed by GenMark Diagnostics, while PLA code 0226U should be reported for the Tru-Immune test developed by Ethos Laboratories in partnership with GenScript USA. For additional information as well as clinical examples related to the use of the new codes, please review the CPT Assistant Article linked below.
As always, we caution that there will be a delay for both Medicare and private payers to establish a payment rate and update their claims processing systems to accept these new codes. To avoid claim rejections and denials we would advise checking with your individual MACs and/or commercial payers prior to claim submission to confirm code availability.
AMA CPT Assistant “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Testing”:
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-08/cpt-assistant-guide-coronavirus-august-2020.pdf