The first edition of CPT was published in 1966 and, for the most part, was focused on surgery. In 1965, the AMA recognized the need for common language and helped create the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) system to describe medical services and procedures. The American Medical Association (AMA) plays a unique and sometimes underappreciated physician-centric role in the determination of provider reimbursement. Consistent and accurate reimbursement requires a common language of medical procedures. Johnson's “Great Society” programs included the creation of Medicare in 1965, which, among its many facets, highlighted the need for efficient and effective determination of physician reimbursement. Psychologists can learn more about the CPT code development process by reading editorial panel meeting summaries on the AMA website and visiting the APA Practice Organization’s reimbursement section on APA Practice Central.ABBREVIATIONS: AMA American Medical Association ASNR American Society of Neuroradiology CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CPT Current Procedural Terminology RUC AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee RVU relative value units Additionally, APA’s Office on Health Care Financing is dedicated to working on CPT codes. Puente, PhD, even served two terms on the AMA CPT Editorial Panel and was an advisor to the panel from 1992-2007. In previous years, because of the confidential nature of the code development process, most psychologists and other health care practitioners were unaware of code changes until the new or revised codes were published in the annual CPT codebook.ĪPA has collaborated with AMA for many years to ensure that the work of practicing psychologists is taken into consideration when developing new CPT codes and revising existing codes. Practicing psychologists can now follow the progress of the code revisions by reading summaries of CPT Editorial Panel meetings online.APA is making refinements to testing codes that will be submitted to AMA for publication in a future CPT manual.The final testing code revisions would “differentiate technician administration of psychological testing and neuropsychological testing from physician/psychologist administration and assessment of testing.” In the past, existing codes have caused confusion about who is performing these tests.APA is heavily involved with this process. Anticipated code changesĬurrently, psychological and neuropsychological testing CPT codes are being revised by the AMA CPT Editorial Panel. AMA uses RUC survey responses from psychologists and other health care providers to help review the relative values of new and revised CPT codes. Psychologists also play a role in establishing the value of new codes when they complete Relative Value Update (RUC) surveys. The American Psychological Association works with the AMA CPT Editorial Panel to keep the manual updated. This panel is responsible for ensuring that CPT codes remain up to date and incorporate the latest treatments and technology used to provide medical care. The manual includes psychotherapy, health and behavior, and testing codes that are revised periodically by the AMA CPT Editorial Panel. Every year, the American Medical Association (AMA) publishes thousands of Current Procedural Terminology ® (CPT) codes that psychologists and other health care providers use to bill insurers for treatment. Practicing psychologists need to know almost as much about billing codes as they do about their patients. By APA Office of Health Care Financing Staff
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |