On April 1, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new ICD-10-CM code to document the diagnosis of COVID-19. The American Medical Association (AMA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also implemented Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes allowing providers to charge for COVID-19 tests. Due to these changes, many healthcare organizations are assessing whether they have adequate resources to ensure that COVID-19 cases are correctly documented, coded and billed.

This article explores the new ICD-10-CM code expedited by the CDC due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus.