Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is a listing of descriptive terms and identifying codes for reporting medical services and procedures. First developed and published in 1966 and currently maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA), the purpose of the CPT is to provide a uniform language that accurately describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services, and thereby serves as an effective means for reliable nationwide communication among physicians, and other health care providers, patients, and third parties.In December 2008, a committee composed of the American Gastroenterological Association's Joel Brill, MD; Daniel DeMarco, MD, of the American College of Gastroenterology; and Glenn Littenberg, MD, of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy prepared an article discussing a number of CPT coding-related issues of importance to gastroenterologists for 2009.The authors note, “While there is only one new CPT code for 2009 for GI endoscopy, which describes direct cholangioscopy/pancreatoscopy, and one new PQRI [Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative] code for endoscopy and polyp surveillance, there are other coding changes that may be of interest to the Gastroenterology community:•New code for cholangioscopy/pancreatoscopy•New code for hemorrhoid management using thermal energy•New code for laparoscopic Heller myotomy•CPT codes deleted in 2009•Review of low-volume gastroenterology procedures•Clarification of E/M procedures•Renumbered codes for infusion services•G-codes to describe follow-up inpatient telehealth consultations•Reminder about telephone services and Medicare policy•PQRI codes.”According to the AMA, “CPT descriptive terms and identifying codes currently serve a wide variety of important functions. This system of terminology is the most widely accepted medical nomenclature used to report medical procedures and services under public and private health insurance programs. CPT is also used for administrative management purposes such as claims processing and developing guidelines for medical care review. The uniform language is likewise applicable to medical education and research by providing a useful basis for local, regional, and national utilization comparisons.”For the joint committee's article, see: http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=6240. For more details on CPT, see http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3882.html. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) is a listing of descriptive terms and identifying codes for reporting medical services and procedures. First developed and published in 1966 and currently maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA), the purpose of the CPT is to provide a uniform language that accurately describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services, and thereby serves as an effective means for reliable nationwide communication among physicians, and other health care providers, patients, and third parties. In December 2008, a committee composed of the American Gastroenterological Association's Joel Brill, MD; Daniel DeMarco, MD, of the American College of Gastroenterology; and Glenn Littenberg, MD, of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy prepared an article discussing a number of CPT coding-related issues of importance to gastroenterologists for 2009. The authors note, “While there is only one new CPT code for 2009 for GI endoscopy, which describes direct cholangioscopy/pancreatoscopy, and one new PQRI [Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative] code for endoscopy and polyp surveillance, there are other coding changes that may be of interest to the Gastroenterology community:•New code for cholangioscopy/pancreatoscopy•New code for hemorrhoid management using thermal energy•New code for laparoscopic Heller myotomy•CPT codes deleted in 2009•Review of low-volume gastroenterology procedures•Clarification of E/M procedures•Renumbered codes for infusion services•G-codes to describe follow-up inpatient telehealth consultations•Reminder about telephone services and Medicare policy•PQRI codes.” According to the AMA, “CPT descriptive terms and identifying codes currently serve a wide variety of important functions. This system of terminology is the most widely accepted medical nomenclature used to report medical procedures and services under public and private health insurance programs. CPT is also used for administrative management purposes such as claims processing and developing guidelines for medical care review. The uniform language is likewise applicable to medical education and research by providing a useful basis for local, regional, and national utilization comparisons.” For the joint committee's article, see: http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=6240. For more details on CPT, see http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3882.html.