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In this article, you will learn: Elation has created a COVID-19 visit note template, named as** COVID-19**, to assist with documentation and coding recommendations related to COVID-19. This template includes triage questions to assess COVID-19 risk and exposure as well as COVID-19-related coding recommendations from the CDC to help you document COVID-19-related visits in Elation visit notes. In order to add this template to your account, please request it by reaching out to our Support Team via the I need help button within Elation. Once it has been added to your account, you may follow the below instructions. To access this template:
  1. Click Visit Note Templates within your visit note
  2. Within the window that appears, search for the COVID-19 template and click Export to Note to apply this template to your visit note Image
  3. Within the template, you’ll find triage questions to assess COVID-19 risk and exposure. Click into any cell to add/edit text. The brackets [ ] are intended to serve as checkboxes - you can indicate a ‘yes’ answer by placing an ‘x’ within the brackets.
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  1. In the assessment section, we have populated the CDC’s coding recommendations for COVID-19. Please click the x next to any entry that does not apply to remove it from your visit note.
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  1. Click Edit Billing to update your bill in the window that appears.
  • Add any Dx codes and CPT® codes based on your assessment and plan.
  • For telehealth billing guidance, please see our help center article here.
This template was created as a starting point to help your practice with COVID-19 documentation. Please feel free to edit this template as needed based on your practice’s unique needs and preferences. To edit a visit note template, view this help center article. The World Health Organization (WHO) has added U07.1 (2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease) as an international ICD-10 code. UPDATE! The U07.1 code is effective for dates of service April 1, 2020 going forward. The CDC has provided the following coding recommendations based on clinical criteria, as noted below:
CriteriaCoding Recommendation
Diagnosis of COVID-19U07.1
Suspected COVID-19, not confirmed or ruled outCode for the presenting signs and symptoms
Known exposure to COVID-19 (without diagnosis of COVID-19)Z20.828, Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable diseases.
Suspected exposure to COVID-19 that is ruled out after evaluationZ03.818, Encounter for observation for suspected exposure to other biological agents ruled out.

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How to code for the SARS-CoV-2 lab test

The American Medical Association (AMA) announced a new CPT® code for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), effective March 13, 2020. 

Code 87635: Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique.
Please note that CMS also recently published a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding billing for COVID-19 lab tests through two new HCPCS codes:
  • (U0001): Used to bill for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2019 Novel Coronavirus Real Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Test Panel.
  • (U0002): Used to bill Medicare and other health insurers for non-CDC 2019-nCoV Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19) tests using any technique, multiple types or subtypes (includes all targets).
These codes are intended to be billed for by laboratory testing centers. The Medicare claims processing system will be able to accept these codes on April 1, 2020 for dates of service on or after February 4, 2020. CPT copyright 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.