Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: Our practice is conducting a study on beta-blocker therapy. Should we use the new CPT Category II codes for this?

Texas Subscriber

Answer: The AMA added the Category II codes to comply with HIPAA regulation requirements and to facilitate data collection to assess quality of care. Some of the codes measure compliance with state or federal law.
 Using Category II codes is optional, and you may not substitute them for the regular Category I CPT codes. For your beta-blocker therapy program, you would report the new Category II code 0007F (Beta-blocker therapy, prescribed), which will allow you to track the program results through your claims data or practice management software rather than through chart reviews.
 
Or, perhaps you want to track your anginal symptoms assessment. You should assign supplemental code 0009F (Anginal symptoms and level of activity, assessed) or 0010F (Anginal symptoms and level of activity, assessed using a standardized instrument) in addition to an established patient code (99212-99215) when you report the E/M service.
 
If your office provides smoking-cessation counseling, you can consider using 0004F (Tobacco use cessation intervention, counseling) or 0005F (Tobacco use cessation intervention, pharmacologic therapy). Make sure you still report the counseling Category I code, such as 99401 (Preventive medicine counseling and/or risk factor reduction intervention[s] provided to an individual [separate procedure]; approximately 15 minutes). 
 
Note: The AMA will publish new Category II codes twice a year: Jan. 1 and July 1. For the most current listing, visit www.ama-assn.org/go/cpt.
 
- You Be the Coder and Reader Questions were prepared with the assistance of Jim Collins, CHCC, CPC, president of Compliant MD Inc. and compliance manager for several cardiology groups around the country; and reviewed by Jerome Williams Jr., MD, FACC, a cardiologist with Mid Carolina Cardiology in Charlotte, N.C.