Up to code: Keep current with codingThe latest on psychological and neuropsychological testing codes. By APA Office of Health Care Financing Staff Practicing psychologists need to know almost as much about billing codes as they do about their patients. Every year, the American Medical Association (AMA) publishes thousands of Current Procedural Terminology® (CPT) codes that psychologists and other health care providers use to bill insurers for treatment. The manual includes psychotherapy, health and behavior, and testing codes that are revised periodically by the AMA CPT Editorial Panel. This panel is responsible for ensuring that CPT codes remain up to date and incorporate the latest treatments and technology used to provide medical care. The American Psychological Association works with the AMA CPT Editorial Panel to keep the manual updated. Psychologists also play a role in establishing the value of new codes when they complete Relative Value Update (RUC) surveys. AMA uses RUC survey responses from psychologists and other health care providers to help review the relative values of new and revised CPT codes. Anticipated Code Changes Currently, psychological and neuropsychological testing CPT codes are being revised by the AMA CPT Editorial Panel. APA is heavily involved with this process. Here’s what psychologists need to know:
APA has collaborated with AMA for many years to ensure that the work of practicing psychologists is taken into consideration when developing new CPT codes and revising existing codes. APA President Antonio E. Puente, PhD, even served two terms on the AMA CPT Editorial Panel and was an advisor to the panel from 1992-2007. Additionally, APA’s Office on Health Care Financing is dedicated to working on CPT codes. Psychologists can learn more about the CPT code development process by reading editorial panel meeting summaries on the AMA website and visiting the APA Practice Organization’s reimbursement section on APA Practice Central. This article was written and published by the American Psychological Association Practice Organization. Any electronic reproductions must link to the original article. Any exceptions to this, including excerpting, paraphrasing or reproduction in a commercial work, must be presented in writing to the APA.
Find this article at: http://www.apapracticecentral.org/update/2017/04-06/up-to-code.aspx
Position Openings on the Public Interest Advisory Committee The SCN Public Interest Advisory Committee (PIAC) is seeking to fill several positions for the upcoming officer cycle including: (1) PIAC chair, (oversees WIN, EMA, APA liaisons, and Ethics committees) (2) WIN Chair, Women in Neuropsychology (WIN) committee (3) Committee Member, Ethinic Minority Affairs (EMA) committee (4) Liaison at Large, APA committees liaison (e.g., rural health, socioeconomic status, disability issues, sexual orientation and gender diversity, international relations, and office on AIDS). Appointments are for 3-year terms, beginning in mid-August 2017. Please contact Becky Ready, outgoing PIAC chair, for application instructions (ready@psych.umass.edu). Of note, these positions are not for students or post-docs. Students - including post-docs - interested in serving on SCN committees should contact April Thames at athames@mednet.ucla.edu.
Summary of Recent APA Council Meeting in February:
1. Council adopted as APA policy the following clinical/professional practice guidelines:
2. Council adopted as APA policy the following resolutions:
3. Amendments to APA Bylaws:
4. Action Taken in Response to the Independent Review Report:
5. Additional Action Taken by Council:
The Public Interest Advisory Committee (PIAC) is seeking a neuropsychologist to serve as a liaison to the APA Committee on Aging (CONA). If interested, please see the full announcement here: CONA Liaison Announcement
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