Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: I’ve heard there are new codes for SARS-CoV-2 lab tests using high-throughput instrumentation. What are they?

Georgia Subscriber

Answer: You heard correctly. CMS issued the following two new codes for labs to report when using high throughput SARS-CoV-2 testing:

• U0003 (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, making use of high throughput technologies as described by CMS-2020-01-R)
• U0004 (2019-nCoV Coronavirus, SARS-CoV- 2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19), any technique, multiple types or subtypes (includes all targets), non-CDC, making use of high throughput technologies as described by CMS-2020-01-R)