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An infectious agent antigen detection test is a diagnostic procedure that utilizes an immunoassay method with direct optical observation to identify the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This test is designed to provide rapid results, allowing for the qualitative detection of the virus in individuals who may be exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Symptoms associated with this illness can include cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, dyspnea, chest pain, muscle aches, and fatigue. While many individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 may experience only mild to moderate respiratory symptoms and recover without the need for specialized medical treatment, there are cases where the illness can escalate to severe respiratory distress. In such severe instances, patients may experience significant difficulty breathing, chest pain, altered mental status, and a bluish tint to the skin, which may necessitate hospitalization and ventilatory support. The testing process involves collecting a respiratory sample, such as a sputum or nasal swab specimen, which is then placed in a tube containing an extraction reagent. This reagent serves to disrupt the virus particles present in the specimen, thereby exposing the viral nucleoproteins. Following this preparation, a test strip is inserted into the tube; if SARS-CoV-2 is present in the sample, a visible color change will occur on the test strip, indicating a positive result, alongside a control line that confirms the test's validity.
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The infectious agent antigen detection test for SARS-CoV-2 is indicated for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in individuals who present with symptoms consistent with the illness. The following conditions and symptoms warrant the performance of this test:
The procedure for conducting the infectious agent antigen detection test for SARS-CoV-2 involves several key steps that ensure accurate detection of the virus. The following outlines the procedural steps:
After the completion of the infectious agent antigen detection test, the results should be interpreted promptly to facilitate timely clinical decision-making. If the test result is positive, appropriate isolation measures should be implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and further clinical evaluation may be necessary to determine the need for additional treatment or hospitalization. In cases of negative results, it is important to consider the clinical context and symptoms of the patient, as false negatives can occur. Therefore, follow-up testing or alternative diagnostic methods may be warranted based on the patient's condition and exposure history. Continuous monitoring of symptoms and adherence to public health guidelines are essential in managing the patient's care post-testing.
| Short Descr | SARS-COV-2 COVID19 W/OPTIC | Medium Descr | IAADIADOO SEVERE AQT RESPIR SYND CORONAVIRUS | Long Descr | Infectious agent antigen detection by immunoassay with direct optical (ie, visual) observation; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) | Status Code | Statutory Exclusion (from MPFS, may be paid under other methodologies) | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 9 - Not Applicable | Multiple Procedures (51) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Co-Surgeons (62) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Team Surgery (66) | 9 - Concept does not apply. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | CLIA Waived (QW) | Yes | APC Status Indicator | Service Paid under Fee Schedule or Payment System other than OPPS | Type of Service (TOS) | 5 - Diagnostic Laboratory | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | none | MUE | 1 |
| QW | Clia waived test | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | CR | Catastrophe/disaster related | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | Q6 | Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | CC | Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed) | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | X1 | Continuous/broad services: for reporting services by clinicians, who provide the principal care for a patient, with no planned endpoint of the relationship; services in this category represent comprehensive care, dealing with the entire scope of patient problems, either directly or in a care coordination role; reporting clinician service examples include, but are not limited to: primary care, and clinicians providing comprehensive care to patients in addition to specialty care | 77 | Repeat procedure by another physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a basic procedure or service was repeated by another physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 77 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | 91 | Repeat clinical diagnostic laboratory test: in the course of treatment of the patient, it may be necessary to repeat the same laboratory test on the same day to obtain subsequent (multiple) test results. under these circumstances, the laboratory test performed can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 91. note: this modifier may not be used when tests are rerun to confirm initial results; due to testing problems with specimens or equipment; or for any other reason when a normal, one-time, reportable result is all that is required. this modifier may not be used when other code(s) describe a series of test results (eg, glucose tolerance tests, evocative/suppression testing). this modifier may only be used for laboratory test(s) performed more than once on the same day on the same patient. | GA | Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case | XU | Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service | 25 | Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional on the same day of the procedure or other service: it may be necessary to indicate that on the day a procedure or service identified by a cpt code was performed, the patient's condition required a significant, separately identifiable e/m service above and beyond the other service provided or beyond the usual preoperative and postoperative care associated with the procedure that was performed. a significant, separately identifiable e/m service is defined or substantiated by documentation that satisfies the relevant criteria for the respective e/m service to be reported (see evaluation and management services guidelines for instructions on determining level of e/m service). the e/m service may be prompted by the symptom or condition for which the procedure and/or service was provided. as such, different diagnoses are not required for reporting of the e/m services on the same date. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 25 to the appropriate level of e/m service. note: this modifier is not used to report an e/m service that resulted in a decision to perform surgery. see modifier 57 for significant, separately identifiable non-e/m services, see modifier 59. | 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | 51 | Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d). | 58 | Staged or related procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: it may be necessary to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was: (a) planned or anticipated (staged); (b) more extensive than the original procedure; or (c) for therapy following a surgical procedure. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 58 to the staged or related procedure. note: for treatment of a problem that requires a return to the operating/procedure room (eg, unanticipated clinical condition), see modifier 78. | 76 | Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | 79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.) | 90 | Reference (outside) laboratory: when laboratory procedures are performed by a party other than the treating or reporting physician or other qualified health care professional, the procedure may be identified by adding modifier 90 to the usual procedure number. | 95 | Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-time interactive audio and video telecommunications system: synchronous telemedicine service is defined as a real-time interaction between a physician or other qualified health care professional and a patient who is located at a distant site from the physician or other qualified health care professional. the totality of the communication of information exchanged between the physician or other qualified health care professional and the patient during the course of the synchronous telemedicine service must be of an amount and nature that would be sufficient to meet the key components and/or requirements of the same service when rendered via a face-to-face interaction. modifier 95 may only be appended to the services listed in appendix p. appendix p is the list of cpt codes for services that are typically performed face-to-face, but may be rendered via a real-time (synchronous) interactive audio and video telecommunications system. | CG | Policy criteria applied | CS | Cost-sharing waived for specified covid-19 testing-related services that result in and order for or administration of a covid-19 test and/or used for cost-sharing waived preventive services furnished via telehealth in rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers during the covid-19 public health emergency | FS | Split (or shared) evaluation and management visit | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | GE | This service has been performed by a resident without the presence of a teaching physician under the primary care exception | GT | Via interactive audio and video telecommunication systems | GY | Item or service statutorily excluded, does not meet the definition of any medicare benefit or, for non-medicare insurers, is not a contract benefit | GZ | Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary | HA | Child/adolescent program | NB | Nebulizer system, any type, fda-cleared for use with specific drug | PA | Surgical or other invasive procedure on wrong body part | PD | Diagnostic or related non diagnostic item or service provided in a wholly owned or operated entity to a patient who is admitted as an inpatient within 3 days | PO | Excepted service provided at an off-campus, outpatient, provider-based department of a hospital | Q0 | Investigational clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | Q3 | Live kidney donor surgery and related services | Q5 | Service furnished under a reciprocal billing arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | SA | Nurse practitioner rendering service in collaboration with a physician | SL | State supplied vaccine | U6 | Medicaid level of care 6, as defined by each state | UD | Medicaid level of care 13, as defined by each state | XE | Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure |
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| 2022-01-01 | Added | First appearance of code in codebook. |
| 2022-01-01 | Changed | Short and Medium description changed. |
| 2022-01-01 | Note | Grammar correction |
| 2021-01-01 | Added | First appearance of code in CPT® Code Set. |
| 2020-10-06 | Added | Code added. |
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