The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®)Editorial Panel has approved a new addition to the CPT code set to report testing for the virus that causes COVID-19. The American Medical Association (AMA)  says the code will help streamline data-driven resource and allocation planning in the battle against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

The new Category I CPT code is 87635:

Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique.

The code is effective immediately for use as the industry standard for reporting of tests for the novel coronavirus across the nation’s health care system. 

“In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPT Editorial Panel has expedited approval of a unique CPT code to report laboratory testing services that diagnose the presence of the novel coronavirus,” says AMA President Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA “The new CPT code assigned to the test for the novel coronavirus provides analytical advantages for tracking, allocating and optimizing resources as testing ramps up in the United States.”

The CPT Editorial Panel, the independent body convened by the AMA with sole authority to manage revisions to the CPT code set, expedited the code development process for the novel coronavirus test. Development, review and approval of the new CPT code involved broad input from practicing physicians, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts. 

The AMA continues to invest in resources that keep physicians informed of the CDC’s guidance and updates, including the recent launch of the AMA’s Physician’s Guide to COVID-19, a quick-start reference to help physicians and their practices prepare for the pandemic. This is an expanded, downloadable and shareable version of resources available on the AMA’s COVID-19 resource center for physicians.