The "language of medicine," as the CPT code set is often referred to, is set to see several updates in 2025. As a provider of medical billing and coding services, we keep pace with these changes to ensure accuracy and compliance.

The AMA's new edition contains 420 updates for 2025, adding to the more than 11,000 CPT codes in use today. The updates include 270 new codes, 112 deletions, and 38 revisions. One key feature of the new code set is that it aims to help physicians keep pace with new healthcare innovations and technologies.

2025 CPT Code Updates

CPT code changes that will go live in 2025 include Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) services. These services involve the monitoring of data related to signs, symptoms, and functions of a therapeutic response.

Notable changes to RTM CPT are as follows:

• 98975 updated to include digital therapeutic (DTx) intervention, such as initial set-up and patient education on the use of equipment
• 98976–98978 revised to include device supply for data access or data transmissions to support remote therapeutic monitoring of patients
• 98980 revised to apply to provider services that last fewer than 20 minutes (the code currently requires 20 minutes or more)
• AI taxonomy

There are seven new codes for services driven by augmented intelligence (AI). The CPT AI taxonomy was introduced in 2023 and has been implemented in CPT Category III codes to classify AI medical services and procedures as assistive, augmentative, or autonomous based on the work performed by the AI application on behalf of the physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

These new AI codes are:

• 0902T and 0932T - AI augmentative data analysis involved in electrocardiogram measurements
• 0877T–0880T - Medical chest imaging
• 0898T - Image-guided prostate biopsy
• General Surgery

The new codes in CPT's general surgery section include:

• 15011–15018 for innovative skin graft procedures for wound care and recovery
• 49186–49190 for advancements in surgical techniques for the elimination of tumors within the abdomen
• Telemedicine Office Visits

In 2024 and earlier, the majority of evaluation and management (E/M) services delivered through synchronous audio-visual telemedicine were reported using modifier 95, indicating that the service was provided via a real-time, interactive audio and video telecommunications system.

In 2025, 17 new telemedicine codes and guidelines for reporting the codes have been added to a new E/M subsection for telemedicine services within the E/M office visits or other outpatient services. The codes, which reflect technology used and patient type (i.e., new vs. established), are for synchronous, real-time interactive encounters between the provider and the patient.

The new codes describe services provided to patients and/or parents or caregivers who are not physically present or in person with the physician or QHP at the time of service. They allow reporting for the work involved with telemedicine (audio-visual and audio-only) office visits similar to the current office and other outpatient E/M codes (four levels depending on medical decision making or time, with separate codes for new and established patients).

The telemedicine codes include:

• 98000–98007 for audio-video services
• 98008–98015 for audio-only services (replacing current telephone call codes 99441-99443)
• 98016 for a brief telemedicine service to an established patient (brief communication technology-based service [e.g., virtual check-in] by a physician or other qualified healthcare professional who can report evaluation and management services, provided to an established patient, not originating from a related evaluation and management service provided within the previous seven days nor leading to an evaluation and management service or procedure within the next 24 hours or soonest available appointment, 5-10 minutes of medical discussion)
• Deleted codes: 99441–99443 for telephone E/M services
• No longer reported: 99202–99205 and 99212–99215 for office and other outpatient E/M services

Medicare will only pay separately for code 98016, and does not recognize the other 16 codes (98000–98015). Certain behavioral and mental health services will be permanently available to Medicare patients through telehealth.

Within radiology, there are six new codes for MRI safety services, which describe the work involved with the proper assessment, consultation, and medical physics exam customization for patients who have an implant, device, or foreign body prior to having an MRI study.

The radiology codes include:

• 76014 for the initial 15 minutes of assessing implants and foreign bodies
• 76015 for each additional 30 minutes of assessing implants and foreign bodies
• 76016 for the MR safety determination made by a physician or other qualified healthcare professional
• 76017 for medical physics examination customization, planning, and performance monitoring
• 76018 for implant electronics preparation, such as programming a pacemaker
• 76019 for implant positioning and/or immobilization

Two new codes for Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Thyroid Nodules are:

• 60660 to report ablation of one or more thyroid nodules in a single lobe or isthmus, including imaging guidance
• 60661 (add-on code) to report ablation of additional nodules in an additional lobe

There are changes to the code for MRI Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) – a noninvasive procedure to ablate tissue within the skull without open surgery, including:

• MRgFUS code 0398T will be converted from Category III to Category I.
• 0398T will be deleted and replaced by three new codes to report this procedure; the codes will include treatment planning, insertion, and ablation of prostate tissue.

There are three new add-on codes to report procedures performed with a complete transcranial Doppler study of intracranial arteries:

• Vasoreactivity study
• Emboli detection without intravenous microbubble injection
• Venous-arterial shunt detection with intravenous microbubble injection

Additionally, code 93893 has been revised to describe venous-arterial shunt detection, and code 93890 will be deleted. The Cerebrovascular Arterial Studies guidelines have been updated to clarify the appropriate use of existing transcranial Doppler study codes 93886, 93888, 93892, and 93893, as well as the new add-on codes.

Within anesthesia, there are six new codes for fascial plane blocks:

• 64466 - Unilateral thoracic fascial plane block by injection(s), with imaging guidance when performed
• 64467 - Unilateral thoracic fascial plane block by continuous infusion(s), with imaging guidance when performed
• 64468 - Bilateral thoracic fascial plane block by injection(s), with imaging guidance when performed
• 64469 - Bilateral thoracic fascial plane block by infusion(s), with imaging guidance when performed
• 64473 - Unilateral lower extremity fascial plane block by injection(s), with imaging guidance when performed
• 64474 - Unilateral lower extremity fascial plane block by infusion(s), with imaging guidance when performed

Conclusion

We have only covered a few key updates here. The 2025 CPT code updates bring significant changes to medical billing and coding practices. Staying informed about these updates is essential to ensure accurate billing and compliance with the latest regulations. However, keeping up with frequent coding changes can be challenging for healthcare providers and their in-house staff. Partnering with a professional medical billing company can be highly advantageous, as these experts stay up to date with industry changes, ensuring timely and accurate claims submission.

Source: Natalie Tornese

Holding a CPC certification from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), Natalie is a seasoned professional actively managing medical billing, medical coding, verification, and authorization services at OSI.