The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has adopted two new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes that should be used for COVID-19 testing.
- U0001 – 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel should be used when specimens are sent to the CDC and CDC-approved local/state health department laboratories.
- U0002 – 2019-nCoV Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19), any technique, multiple types or subtypes (includes all targets), non-CDC should be used when specimens are sent to commercial laboratories, e.g. Quest or LabCorp, and not to the CDC or CDC-approved local/state health department laboratories.
For more information and future updates, visit the CMS website and its recently issued FAQ. To view a more comprehensive list of COVID-19 codes, visit the Aetna website.