CPT® code changes for 2025: What your medical practice needs to know about medical coding updates
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently announced its 2025 CPT code update that includes 270 new codes, 112 deletions, and 38 revisions. Not surprisingly, medical innovations, new technologies, and cutting-edge procedures spurred most of the annual CPT code changes for 2025.
In this blog, we’ll cover some of the highlights that may affect your medical practice. Note that if you want to learn more about the CPT code changes for 2025, be sure to check out these resources:
Meeting minutes from the September 2023 RVS Update Committee
Upcoming CPT & RBRVS 2025 Annual Symposium (held virtually November 20-22, 2024)
(And while you’re at it, also review ICD-10-CM medical coding changes that took effect October 1, 2024).
Remote therapeutic monitoring services
Although you’ll need to wait until January 1, 2026, there’s some good news regarding medical coding for remote therapeutic monitoring. More specifically, CPT code 98975 will include digital therapeutic intervention, while codes 98976–98978 will be revised to include device supply for data access or data transmissions to support remote therapeutic monitoring of patients. CPT code 98980 will be revised to include only 11-20 minutes. Currently, the medical code requires 20 minutes or more.
In addition, these six new CPT codes effective January 1, 2026 cover the first two to 15 days of monitoring:
99XX4 (remote physiologic monitoring device supply)
99XX5 (remote physiologic monitoring treatment management services)
98XX4 (respiratory remote patient monitoring)
98XX5 (musculoskeletal remote patient monitoring)
98XX6 (cognitive behavioral therapy remote patient monitoring)
98XX7 (remote therapeutic monitoring treatment management services)
Determine whether any of these changes could help increase the volume of remote patient monitoring in your medical practice. Keep in mind that doing so could also improve the doctor-patient relationship.
Telemedicine
Effective January 1, 2025, there will be 17 new telemedicine codes among the new CPT codes:
98000-98003 (audio-video visits for new patients)
98004-98007 (audio-video visits for established patients)
98008-98011 (audio-only telemedicine visits for new patients)
98012-98015 (audio-only telemedicine visits for established patients)
Note that 98008-98011 and 98012-98105 will replace the existing telephone-only codes 99441-99443, which CPT 2025 will delete.
In addition, new CPT code 98016 (virtual check-in) will replace HCPCS code G2012.
Discuss these changes to determine whether and how your medical practice can leverage telehealth to improve revenue cycle management.
Augmented/artificial intelligence
CPT 2025 also includes seven additional Category III codes that describe augmentative data analysis using artificial intelligence:
0877T-0880T (medical chest imaging)
0902T-0932T (electrocardiogram measurements)
0898T (image-guided prostate biopsies)
General surgery
Other CPT changes for 2025 include updates to CPT’s general surgery section to reflect novel surgical approaches in skin grafts for wound care and recovery (CPT codes 15011–15018) and advancements in surgical techniques for the elimination of tumors within the abdomen (CPT codes 49186–49190).
Immunizations, labs
CPT changes for 2025 also include various changes to vaccination codes and proprietary laboratory analyses codes. Be sure to review those with your medical coding team.
Preparing for new CPT codes for 2025
Though it may seem like you have plenty of time to prepare for the CPT code changes for 2025, the clock is ticking, and the New Year will be here before you know it. Here are five steps you can take now to ensure medical coding compliance.
Purchase your 2025 CPT coding manual. Then be sure to review portions of the medical coding manual and new CPT codes for 2025 that affect your medical practice specialty most directly.
Update coding tools. Communicate with your EHR vendor to ensure it automatically updates CPT changes for 2025, including adding new codes and deleting others.
Educate your medical coding staff. Participate in webinars to learn more about the 2025 CPT code updates and how they might affect your medical practice.
Keep all providers in the loop. Ensure that all healthcare providers understand the CPT changes for 2025 and beyond. Providers must be able to select the correct codes and ensure accurate and complete clinical documentation to support those codes.
Prepare to monitor denials. Once January 1 hits, you’ll want to keep a close eye on claim denials especially with any new CPT codes for 2025 as payer coverage may vary.
CPT changes for 2025: Looking ahead
Preparing for the CPT changes for 2025 takes a bit of time, and it may require additional workflow changes. However, the medical code changes could also present new revenue opportunities for your medical practice. Think about ways to leverage your EHR to ensure compliance. Learn how edgeMED can help.
