Highlights of AHA’s Coding Clinic for HCPCS First Quarter 2025 Release

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The First Quarter 2025 issue of the AHA Coding Clinic for HCPCS newsletter will be released March 21, 2025. Let’s explore some of the highlights!

2025 Surgery Section CPT Code Updates

The first quarter newsletter begins with an overview of some of the 2025 changes to the CPT codes in the surgery section. Within the surgery section, there are changes to the CPT codes for the integumentary system, musculoskeletal system, and the hemic and lymphatic systems.  

In the Skin Cell Suspension Autograft (SCSA) subsection of the integumentary system, there are 8 new codes to use for autografts, tissue cultured autografts, and skin substitute grafts. There is also a new add-on Category III code for mastectomy procedures.  

In the neck (soft tissues) and thorax subsection of the musculoskeletal system, 1 code was deleted and 1 code was revised. In the forearm and wrist repair, revision, and/or reconstruction subsection, 1 code was revised and 1 code was created.  

Finally, the codes in the hemic and lymphatic systems and general cellular and gene therapies subsection have been converted from Category III codes to Category I codes.  

For Your Information

Additionally, the newsletter addresses a subset of the new, deleted, and revised HCPCS Level II codes effective January 1, 2025, including:

• 85 new HCPCS Level II codes,
• 49 deleted HCPCS Level II codes, and  
• 8 revised HCPCS Level II codes.  

There is a new CPT code for the chikungunya virus vaccine. The chikungunya virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. According to the CDC, vaccination against this virus is recommended for some travelers, as there have been outbreaks of the chikungunya virus in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  

The newsletter also provides details on 42 new CPT Category III codes with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Finally, the newsletter provides details on 23 new CPT Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) codes effective April 1, 2025.  

Ask the Editor

The newsletter includes coding advice for 5 questions on the following topics:

• Percutaneous liver biopsies
• Sub-orbicularis oculi fat lift with ectropion repair
• Coaptation Splint
• Release palatoglossal arch
• Laparoscopic removal of infected mesh

Please refer to the CPT codebook for additional and in-depth reporting guidelines and the full list of the code changes on CMS’s website.  

As always, please read the First Quarter 2025 volume of AHA Coding Clinic for HCPCS entirely for the best source of medical coding information.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). About Chikungunya. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/about/