American Medical Association releases 2027 CPT code set, including key updates in radiology
The American Medical Association on Wednesday released the 2027 Current Procedural Terminology code set, including key updates in medical imaging.
Altogether, there are 299 new codes for next year, reflecting advances in medical, surgical and diagnostic services. The AMA noted that updates in radiology include both new and revised codes, along with a new table for head and neck magnetic resonance angiography, better reflecting current imaging technologies.
The codes are the result of a process that involves medical societies, radiologists and other stakeholders suggesting additions and updates. Expert panels then review these proposals, eventually resulting in the new CPT codes, used for billing and to accurately identify and communicate the services patients receive.
AMA noted that its “independent, open and evidence-based process” resulted in 453 editorial changes, with 74 revisions and 80 code deletions.
“Medicine advances at an extraordinary pace, and the CPT code set must advance with it,” AMA President Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH, said in a statement Sept. 9. “By bringing physicians and other healthcare experts together through a rigorous, open process, CPT provides a clinically grounded foundation for describing new and evolving services, supporting accurate data exchange, and helping move promising innovations into clinical practice.”
A spokesman for the American College of Radiology—a frequent contributor to the CPT process—said Wednesday the ACR is reviewing the coding updates to determine their impact. It’s particularly interested in changes related to artificial intelligence. ACR said it plans to release a summary of all 2027 CPT changes relevant to radiology in the coming weeks.
On the artificial intelligence front, the new 2027 code set “continues to expand to better describe AI-related services that support or assist healthcare professionals,” the AMA noted. It adds 10 new AI CPT codes, bringing the total to 43. The CPT Editorial Panel also has updated the Taxonomy for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Services and Procedures, aimed at helping CPT stakeholders choose the right terminology for code descriptors. These updates are meant to keep the framework relevant as clinical AI evolves, the AMA noted.
Other changes include three new codes related to ventricular-assist device procedures, updated codes and guidelines to better reflect current prostate biopsy techniques, and a new time-based code structure for biofeedback training. The code updates are slated to take effect on Jan. 1.
These updates come amid pushback from some stakeholders over the CPT codes and how they are created. In August, PatientRighsAdvocate.org filed a lawsuit against the AMA, seeking to make CPT codes more open and available to the public. Members of Congress earlier this year also launched an inquiry into the code-creation process, contending it may be fueling improper payments and adding to rising healthcare costs.
The AMA on Wednesday defended the importance of these codes and the work that supports them.
“The continued evolution of the CPT code set demonstrates why a trusted, physician-led coding system is essential,” Underwood said. “As new technologies and clinical approaches emerge, the nation’s health system needs a reliable way to describe the care physicians provide. As the largest association of physicians in the U.S., the AMA is uniquely positioned to convene a collaborative CPT editorial process, bringing unmatched scale, expertise and legitimacy to standardizing medical service definitions.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.