ADA Coding Changes for 2017 Bring New Case Management Codes

With each New Year the ADA committee brings forth new codes, revised codes and deletes codes that they consider no longer applicable to the current set of codes.

On March 15, 2016, from Kelly Soderlund of the ADA, news of the upcoming code changes in 2017 is innovative in scope.

“The Code Maintenance Committee approved four new codes related to case management. These services address overcoming why patients don’t keep their appointments; coordinating care; patients’ motivation to comply with treatment plans; and patient education to improve health literacy. These codes will fall under the adjunctive category as non clinical services.

The ADA chairs the Code Maintenance Committee meeting and has five votes; each specialty organization plus the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Dental Education Association have one vote each; and each payer organization has one vote each.”

“This year we again had a number of people observe the meeting, including several dentists, and participate in the public comment portion to convey their thoughts on their own change requests or ones submitted by others,” Dr. Riggins said. “Those who submitted action requests also answered specific questions from committee members about their changes before the committee voted.”

“The committee will accept change requests for CDT 2018 until November and all requests will be considered during the next meeting in March 2017. For more information on the Code Maintenance Committee and CDT, visit ADA.org/publications/CD

The Code Maintenance Committee approved 11 new codes at its March meeting. Code numbers will be assigned in CDT 2017. The new codes include: “

• Laboratory processing of microbial specimen to include culture and sensitivity studies, preparation and transmission of written report.
• Non Ionizing diagnostic procedure capable of quantifying, monitoring, and recording changes in structure of enamel, dentin, and cementum.
• Distal shoe space maintainer — fixed — unilateral.
• Scaling in presence of generalized moderate or severe gingival inflammation — full mouth, after oral evaluation
• Scaling and debridement in the presence of inflammation or mucositis of a single implant, including cleaning of the implant surfaces, without flap entry and closure.
• Provisional implant crown.
• Consultation with a medical health care professional.
• Dental case management — addressing appointment compliance barriers.
• Dental case management — care coordination.
• Dental case management — motivational interviewing.
• Dental case management — patient education to improve oral health literacy.