New coding and billing opportunities for 2005--Part I

Part I of this series will highlight several changes in coding and billing for 2005. Medicare has established new preventive medicine services and screening tests for beneficiaries, but they have certain qualifications and documentation rules that must be followed. New codes have been established for using the Internet or similar electronic communications in response to a patient's request. There are additional revisions for pediatricians, orthopedists, endoscopists and surgeons performing transplants and bariatric surgery. All new CPT codes must be activated and deleted codes must be discontinued effective January 1, 2005. From that date forward, the patient's date of service must reflect current diagnosis (ICD-9) and procedure/services (CPT and HCPCS) codes. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandated a January 1, 2005, date compliance for all new and deleted diagnosis (ICD-9-CM) and physician service codes (CPT and HCPCS). Physicians no longer are allowed the 90-day grace period to update their coding systems to reflect the changes. The new 2005 CPT book contains many revisions within the codes themselves along with revisions found in the specific "guidelines" at the beginning of many sections. The CPT codes for 2005 contain 26 deleted codes and 130 new codes, thus providing a challenge to update all coding systems by the January 1, 2005, compliance date for CPT codes.