How Are You Doing With The Updated CPT Codes For 2023?

by  Find-A-Code™
Jun 8th, 2023

Medical coders and billers across the country approached the end of 2022 with a combination of anticipation and anxiety over updated CPT codes set for release on January 1, 2023. More than four months after the fact, the updated codes are now fully entrenched. So how are you doing? Are you completely comfortable with them yet?

The American Medical Association (AMA) gave us an early look at the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 2023 update last year. A general perusal revealed that it included:

• 75 deleted codes
• 93 revised codes
• 225 new codes
• 393 editorial changes

Medical coders and billers were relieved to know that the 2023 update wasn't as big as it could have been. Nonetheless, there are still more than 600 changes to deal with. That is enough to keep anyone busy.

Reducing the Burden on Providers

In announcing the 2023 update, the AMA made it clear that their focus was on reducing the burden on providers, especially where evaluation and management (E/M) visits are concerned. Reducing the administrative burden should theoretically reduce the chances of physician burnout. At least that is the thinking.

Most of the changes in the 2023 update are directly related to E/M visits. The AMA says similar updates will eventually roll out for inpatient, emergency, and observational care services. They also plan to target home services, residence services, and services provided by nursing facilities.

Reducing the administrative burden on physicians is an important priority. But for our purposes as an online property offering CPT code lookup, we are more interested in how the 2023 update has affected the people who spend the most time working with the codes: medical coders and billers. How has the update impacted you?

Delving into Artificial Intelligence

One of the more fascinating aspects of the 2023 CPT code update is the AMA's venture into artificial intelligence (AI). According to AMA announcement, the update has added "an appendix with a special taxonomy for AI applications."

What does this mean in simple English? It means that the AMA is starting to develop language, standards, and codes that will eventually be integrated into AI-powered billing systems. However, there is no suggestion that AI will replace human coders and billers.

Building AI into medical billing and coding systems is less about eliminating human workers and more about streamlining and improving accuracy. What it really boils down to is automation. When mundane tasks that do not require human intervention are handled by automated systems, human billers and coders are set free to concentrate on more important tasks.

The Changes Don't Stop Here

Here's hoping that you have managed the 2023 CPT code update without issues. We suspect most medical billers and coders have done just fine. That's the preferred scenario, especially since the changes don't stop here. The AMA is constantly looking at ways to make the CPT system better. Undoubtedly, the next update will be designed to do just that.

Meanwhile, ongoing updates apply to all the other code systems our healthcare system utilizes. ICD-10 and ICD-11 codes come to mind. That says nothing of NPI codes and HIPAA compliance. Everything in the medical coding and billing industry is in a constant state of flux.

We are doing our part to help billers and coders by providing accurate and up-to-date codes online. If you have never used our service before, give it a try. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to look up even the most obscure codes. We believe you will find our code lookup service invaluable to your work as a coder or biller.