The American Medical Association has approved new codes for health and well-being coaching, according to the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Four things to know:
1. The AMA approved various Category III Current Procedural Terminology health and well-being coaching codes, which take effect Jan. 1.
2. After the board and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs applied to create the new tracking codes, the AMA's CPT Editorial Panel approved new codes, including:
- 0591T Health and Well-Being Coaching face-to-face; individual, initial assessment
- 0592T individual, follow-up session, at least 30 minutes
- 0593T group (two or more individuals), at least 30 minutes
3. The board stated in a news release that it and the VA will monitor use of the new codes by national board-certified health and wellness coaches to assess how effective coaching is as a part of the healthcare system.
4. Payers have the option of reimbursement for Category III codes beginning Jan. 1, but the widespread data that is collected by the board and the VA could support Category I approval, the board said, noting that payers typically begin reimbursement at the Category I level.
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