Updating code sets so physicians can be paid for new models of care could be a “game-changer” in improving hospital readmission rates, according to one physician at the forefront of these changes.
In an AMA “Innovations in Medicine” talk—a brief, informal presentation in the style of TED Talks—David Ellington, MD, a family physician from Virginia and a member of the CPT® Editorial Panel, explains the process behind code development and how the panel is facilitating innovations in medicine.
Dr. Ellington discussed how the panel works through new CPT codes for services that previously went unpaid. Many of these codes describe cutting-edge procedures, from surgical techniques to influenza vaccines. The panel has been looking at molecular pathology and creating codes around this pioneering area of medicine.
But for family physicians like Dr. Ellington, who mostly see patients for health evaluation and management, groundbreaking surgical procedures might not be relevant to their daily practice. What is truly exciting are codes being developed for new areas of care, such as transitional care or complex care coordination.
These new codes, and the services they support, could drastically reduce hospital readmission rates, Dr. Ellington said.
Get inspired and hear about new approaches, ideas and creativity in medicine by viewing this talk and others in the AMA’s Innovations in Medicine series.
