At the beginning of every year, medical professionals and healthcare providers must keep abreast of changes brought about by new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. 2023 marks numerous changes including deletion of several codes previously in use. We will take a look at what this means for healthcare.
The Importance of Staying Up-to-Date with CPT Code Changes
Before we delve into the specific CPT code changes for 2023, let’s first consider the importance of staying current with CPT code changes. CPT codes are widely used by healthcare providers to document services they provide to patients while insurance companies use these codes to determine reimbursement rates for these procedures.
Staying current with changes to CPT codes is essential as they have a significant effect on reimbursement rates for healthcare services. If providers continue using outdated codes, their reimbursement may not match up, leading to financial losses as well as billing errors that lead to delays and legal implications.
Codes Deleted for 2023
As we recognize the significance of remaining current with CPT code updates, let’s explore which codes were deleted for 2023. Numerous codes were cancelled out during 2023 including:
- 99201-99205: Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of a new patient
- 99211-99215: Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient
- 99217: Observation care discharge day management
- 99218-99220: Initial observation care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient
- 99241-99245: Office consultation for a new or established patient
- 99315: Nursing facility discharge day management
- 99316: Nursing facility discharge services, other than discharge day management
- 99327: Initial nursing facility care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient
- 99328: Subsequent nursing facility care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient
- 99334-99337: Domiciliary, rest home, or custodial care services for the evaluation and management of a patient
Impact of Deletion of Codes
Deleting these codes can have serious repercussions for healthcare providers and the industry as a whole. In particular, losing codes 99201-99205 and 99211-99215 means they will no longer be able to bill for evaluating and treating new and established patients using these codes; as an alternative they will be forced to utilize codes with greater documentation requirements which may impose greater administrative burden.
By eliminating codes 99241-99245, healthcare providers no longer can bill for office consultations. Instead, they will need to use alternate codes which may misdescribe what services were rendered, leading to potential billing errors and reimbursement issues.
Conclusion
For medical professionals and healthcare providers alike, keeping abreast of changes to CPT codes is of utmost importance. With several codes being eliminated for 2023, their absence will have an immense effect on healthcare organizations worldwide. Therefore it is crucial that healthcare providers use only approved CPT codes so as to maximize reimbursement rates while avoiding billing errors – staying informed will allow healthcare providers to continue offering quality patient care at competitive rates.