Lucid Diagnostics Advances Payment, Billing and Coding Pathways for Esophageal Cancer Screening Products
Lucid Diagnostics Inc., a subsidiary of PAVmed Inc., announced progress in payment, billing, and coding pathways for its EsoGuard® DNA test and EsoCheck® cell collection device. A Medicare Advisory Panel recommended maintaining the original gapfill payment basis under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) for EsoGuard, with final CMS decisions expected in November after a public comment period. The American Medical Association approved a new Category III CPT code to report non-endoscopic esophageal cell collection using EsoCheck. This will allow physicians and health systems to track such procedures more effectively. Additionally, the CDC/NCHS ICD-10 Coordination Committee positively received a proposed diagnosis code for positive EsoGuard results (R85.83), which would support documentation of confirmatory endoscopies. These developments aim to streamline reimbursement processes and enhance clinical utility by providing clearer billing codes and diagnostic reporting tools, potentially improving access to esophageal cancer screening services under Medicare.
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Topics: CPT code approval ICD-10 coding medical diagnostics Medicare payment