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AMA Creates CPT Code for TIF Procedure for GERD
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The American Medical Association has created a new category 1 current procedural terminology, or CPT, code for the transoral incisionless fundoplication procedure for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, the manufacturer announced today.
Code 432XX1 describes esophagogastric fundoplasty trans-orifice procedures, or “the transoral reconstruction of a defective gastroesophageal valve to prevent reflux,” according to the press release. Having a unique CPT code will enable specific communication about the transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) procedure between physicians and payers.
“The AMA’s decision to create a unique CPT code [for TIF] is a significant milestone for GERD patients,” Skip Baldino, president and CEO of EndoGastric Solutions, said in the release. “By creating this new code, the AMA has acknowledged the significant clinical evidence, including data from two randomized trials, and that this procedure has reached broad acceptance across both the GI and surgeon physician community.”
The American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons jointly sponsored the application for the new code, which was reviewed at a February CPT panel meeting in San Diego, the release said.
“AMA’s CPT Editorial Panel’s decision to add this Category I code in 2016 is significant as it enables health care providers better access to coding and payment structures in the US than are currently available,” Philip Macdonald, vice president of health care economics, policy and reimbursement at EndoGastric Solutions, said in the release. “This not only increases procedure choice for physicians but expands patient access for new technology for GERD patients.”
New and revised code descriptions may be further refined prior to the code’s scheduled implementation on January 1, 2016, the release said.