New coding for a screening CT of the chest for lung cancer

Q.

Last year I billed Level ll HCPCS G0297 for low-dose CT when performing lung cancer screening. This year I’m getting an edit that this code is invalid. Did the code change? 

A.

Yes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) asked that a permanent CPT^® code be created and adapted for this. Beginning January 1, 2021, CPT Category I code 71271 is the appropriate code to report for a screening CT of the chest for lung cancer. The full code description is below: 

71271  Computed tomography, thorax, low dose for lung cancer screening, without contrast material(s)

The three existing CT chest codes (71250 –71270), were changed to specify that they are to be diagnostic only.