On JAN 19, 2021, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced that the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set is being updated by the CPT Editorial Panel to include vaccine and administration codes that are unique to the COVID-19 vaccine candidate under development by Janssen Pharmaceutica, a division of Johnson & Johnson.
The CPT codes – 91302 and 0031A can be used to document and bill for Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and its administration once FDA approves the vaccine or grant it emergency use authorization.
Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine is the 4th vaccine candidate to get its own CPT code from AMA, following the candidates from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The Association previously allotted unique CPT codes for the three vaccine candidates and immunization administration, including the first and second doses of the two-dose vaccines from all three companies.
According to Susan R. Bailey, MD, AMA president and CEO, “Janssen’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine would mark a big change from the double-dose vaccines currently available. The change will place greater importance on accurately reporting COVID-19 immunizations by vaccine type and dose to ensure patients complete the appropriate immunization schedule. Unique CPT codes that clinically distinguish each COVID-19 vaccine provide the needed informational precision to ensure optimal vaccine distribution and administration.”
The pharmaceutical company confirmed data from an interim Phase 1/2a clinical trial few weeks back showing that the investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate (JNJ-78436735) provided an immune response for at least 71 days.
The latest codes to be added to the CPT code set are:
CPT code 91303
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, DNA, spike protein, adenovirus type 26 (Ad26) vector, preservative free, 5×1010 viral particles/0.5mL dosage, for intramuscular use
CPT Code 0031A
Immunization administration by intramuscular injection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, DNA, spike protein, adenovirus type 26 (Ad26) vector, preservative free, 5×1010 viral particles/0.5mL dosage, single dose
AMA also approved some other vaccine-specific CPT codes:
The new Category I CPT code and long descriptor for the AstraZeneca vaccine are:
CPT Code 91302
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, DNA, spike protein, chimpanzee adenovirus Oxford 1 (ChAdOx1) vector, preservative free, 5×1010 viral particles/0.5mL dosage, for intramuscular use
The new vaccine administration CPT codes and long descriptors for the AstraZeneca vaccine are:
For First Dose: 0021A
Immunization administration by intramuscular injection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, DNA, spike protein, chimpanzee adenovirus Oxford 1 (ChAdOx1) vector, preservative free, 5×1010 viral particles/0.5mL dosage; first dose
For Second Dose: 0022A
In addition to the long descriptors, short and medium descriptors for all the new vaccine-specific CPT codes can be accessed on the AMA website, along with several other recent modifications to the CPT code set that have helped streamline the public health response to the SAR-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 disease.
All the new vaccine specific CPT codes can be accessed on the AMA’s official website. The Association is also offering on the website other recent modifications to the CPT code set related to COVID-19 and the public health response effort.
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