Heads up on a change in Thyroid Imaging Codes

This information came through APCs Insider and was adapted from “AMA revises, deletes radiology codes for 2013” in the March 2013 Briefings on APCs.

The AMA made numerous revisions to the nuclear medicine and diagnostic endocrine system subsection for 2013.

Codes 78000-78011 (thyroid imaging codes) were deleted and replaced with three new bundled thyroid imaging codes:

• 78012, thyroid uptake, single or multiple quantitative measurement(s) (including stimulation, suppression, or discharge, when performed)
• 78013, thyroid imaging (including vascular flow, when performed)
• 78014, thyroid imaging (including vascular flow, when performed) with single or multiple uptake(s) quantitative measurement(s) (including stimulation, suppression, or discharge, when performed)

Code 78012 replaces codes 78000, 78001, and 78003. Code 78013 replaces codes 78010 and 78011, while code 78014 replaces 78006 and 78007.