Medical billing changes will roll out after you ring in the New Year on January 1, 2024. Are you ready? At 4D Global, we’re committed to staying on top of these changes for our clients and informing partners in RCM about the impact of the 2024 Medical Billing CPT changes.
Why so many code changes? The CPT codes must evolve to keep pace with the rapid advancements in medical science and technology. The 2024 changes include 349 editorial modifications, encompassing 230 additions, 49 deletions, and 70 revisions. With a total of 11,163 codes to describe various medical procedures and services, the CPT code set reflects the dynamic, ever-evolving healthcare landscape.
Breaking Language Barriers
In a world characterized by diversity, inclusivity in healthcare is paramount. Language should never be a barrier to quality medical care. To address this challenge, the American Medical Association (AMA) recently introduced a groundbreaking change that could revolutionize healthcare for millions. This change entails the integration of Spanish language descriptors for over 11,000 medical procedures and services into the CPT® 2024 code set, a significant step forward in medical billing and healthcare administration. As a trusted partner in the world of medical billing RCM, 4D Global is here to explore these developments and their implications.
A Big Step Forward for Inclusion
The 2024 CPT code changes are not just a minor adjustment; they represent a giant leap in inclusivity. In our diverse society, understanding and being understood is crucial, and these Spanish language descriptors aim to do just that. With healthcare institutions, insurance providers, and medical offices increasingly integrating CPT consumer-friendly descriptors into their English-language documents, insurance forms, and patient portals, this addition of Spanish descriptors paves the way for better engagement and assistance for the Latinx community. For the approximately 41 million Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States, having access to clear and straightforward descriptions of medical procedures and services is a game-changer. It removes language as a barrier and empowers patients to engage in their healthcare actively.
2024 Medical Billing CPT Changes in Response to Current Challenges
The 2024 CPT changes are not just about language inclusivity. They address various healthcare challenges. Notable changes include consolidating over 50 codes, streamlining the reporting of COVID-19 immunizations, and approving provisional codes for monovalent vaccine products from Moderna and Pfizer for COVID-19 immunization. In addition, a new vaccine administration code (90480) will replace all previously approved product-specific vaccine administration codes.
Responding to innovations is the reason for other changes to the 2024 codes. New codes were created in response to product-specific innovations for preventing Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) that cause acute respiratory infection. For increased tracking and analysis, five new CPT codes will report product-specific RSV immunizations (90380, 90381, 90683, 90679, and 90678).
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also prompted the CPT Editorial Panel to add revisions to the CPT 2024 code set to clarify evaluating and management (E/M) services reporting. The revisions include:
- Removing time ranges from office or other outpatient visit codes (99202-99205, 99212-99215) and aligning the format with other E/M codes
- Defining the “substantive portion” of a split/shared E/M visit in which a physician and a non-physician practitioner work together on a patient visit
- Reporting instructions for hospital inpatient or observation care services and admission and discharge services for using codes 99234-99236 when a patient’s stay crosses two calendar dates.
A Transparent Process to Bring About These Changes
With so many changes, you may wonder how they came to be. The alterations in the CPT code set are carefully considered through an open editorial process managed by the CPT Editorial Panel, an independent body convened by the AMA. Taking input from the healthcare community and beyond, this panel ensures the CPT content meets the coding and data-driven needs of a modern healthcare system. A rigorous editorial process maintains the CPT code set and unifies this trusted healthcare language. The 2024 CPT code changes reflect modern medical science and technology, ensuring that the language of medicine stays up-to-date with the latest advancements.
4D Global is Ready to Implement the 2024 Medical Billing CPT Changes
The 2024 CPT code changes mark a significant step toward a more inclusive and efficient healthcare system. 4D Global, a trusted partner in medical billing RCM, is ready to provide expert support to medical billing companies, medical groups, and software companies to navigate these changes and deliver high-quality healthcare services.
The future of healthcare is brighter, more inclusive, and technologically advanced, and 4D Global is at the forefront of this evolution. We’re ready to help our collaborative partners increase their cash flow and decrease any hurdles due to billing changes. Contact us today to learn how we can help your company confidently implement these changes without the disrupting denials that can significantly impact your revenue cycle management.