New AMA CPT Working Group on Maternity Care

As part of our ongoing work to achieve a more equitable payment system for obstetrician–gynecologists, ACOG recently appealed to the AMA’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel to evaluate the current codes for maternity care. In response, the CPT Editorial Panel announced the formation of an ad hoc workgroup to review the current status of payment for maternity care. The working group will assess current maternity care practices, including antepartum care, labor management, and delivery and postpartum services in order to create a code change application with suggestions for changes to existing codes and new proposed codes that reflect the current practice of medicine; are aligned with the rules, guidelines, and conventions of the current CPT code set; and meet all stakeholder needs.

You can help ensure that obstetrician–gynecologists’ voices are heard loud and clear by participating in the workgroup calls. ACOG is hopeful that with robust participation from obstetrician–gynecologists, the CPT Editorial Panel will acknowledge that the current system does not reflect the reality of maternity care, including the typical quantity of prenatal care appointments and the number of clinicians that can be involved in the care team throughout the course of a pregnancy. ACOG also hopes to drive home that the system does not create a stable or sustainable financial environment for obstetric and gynecologic practices.

Please consider taking part in this critical working group, which could lead to positive implications for the entire ACOG community and could dramatically improve the way that maternal care practices are supported in the United States. The first meeting is being held on April 29, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. CT. You must register to attend.