I attended the 2022 CPT Symposium and learned all about the upcoming changes in CPT for 2022. Below is a short summary of these changes. Look for more in depth descriptions of the changes in future blog posts.
Where are the biggest changes to CPT codes?
There are a total of 249 new, 63 deleted and 93 revised CPT codes for 2022. That brings the total number of CPT codes to 10,819 per the AMA. Here is a breakdown:
| Sections | Added | Deleted | Revised |
| Evaluation and Management | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| Anesthesia | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Surgery | 30 | 13 | 25 |
| Radiology | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Pathology/Laboratory | 94 | 8 | 46 |
| Medicine | 36 | 11 | 4 |
| Category II | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Category III | 74 | 26 | 7 |
| Totals for Codes | 249 | 63 | 93 |
| Appendix A Modifiers | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most of the changes occurred in the pathology/laboratory section. However most coders do not have to worry about those as they are chargemaster driven. The next biggest changes come to the Category III codes, then Medicine codes and Surgery codes.
In the Medicine section, there are quite a few changes to the heart ablation codes with a grand new “elements of Cardiac Ablation Codes” added to help the coder to decide what is includes in the different ablation codes, and what can be reported separately. It is an amazingly helpful addition on page 781 of the Professional edition of CPT. Also, a subsection for Cardiac Catheterization for Congenital Heart Defects was added with new codes to describe congenital caths done for normal or abnormal native connections by the pre-proceduralist to advance the catheter to targe zone.
Below I is a summary of the surgery sub section changes
|
CPT Book Surgery Sub- Sections |
Added |
Deleted |
Revised |
|
Integumentary |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Musculoskeletal |
0 |
1 |
8 |
|
Respiratory |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cardiovascular |
8 |
2 |
2 |
|
Lymphatic/Hemic |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mediastinum/Diaphragm |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Digestive |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Urinary & Male Reproductive |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Female Reproductive and OB |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Nervous |
9 |
5 |
6 |
|
Eye or Endocrine |
3 |
0 |
2 |
|
Auditory |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
Totals |
30 |
13 |
25 |
As you can see, for the surgery area, there are many new codes in the cardiovascular and nervous subsections. In the cardiovascular subsection, new code were developed for open OR thoracoscopic exclusion of left atrial appendage by itself or with other open procedures, harvest of upper extremity artery for bypass, endoscopic, and laparoscopic insertion/replacement et. Al of permanent synchronized diaphragmatic stimulation system.
For the nervous subsection, new codes for spinal nerve root decompression were added when done with fusions. Also, new codes for thermal destruction of intraosseous basivertebral nerve were added. There is a new table for nerve blocks that tells the coder if imaging guidance is included in the code or not.
Also of note, some of the spinal fusion codes in the musculoskeletal system have been revamped to correct the term “level” to interspace for some codes. Descriptions of corpectomy, facetectomy, foraminotomy, laminectomy, laminotomy etc. have been added for clearer interpretation of what these procedures are, along with awesome photos to depict each of these. Be sure to check out the new photos!
HIA will be doing a blog series a little more in depth closer to the new year, so be on the lookout.
The information contained in this post is valid at the time of posting. Viewers are encouraged to research subsequent official guidance in the areas associated with the topic as they can change rapidly.
