Changes will recognize levels of clinical complexity. Here's a preview.

APTA has long advocated for revising Current Procedure Terminology (CPT, ©American Medical Association) codes for physical therapists (PTs) to report their evaluations. APTA also has urged that greater emphasis be placed on clinical judgment and decision-making in CPT nomenclature and structure. Now, important changes in the evaluation codes will be published in the physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) family of codes (97000) effective January 1, 2017.

These revisions will include replacing existing CPT codes 97001 (physical therapy evaluation) and 97002 (physical therapy reevaluation) with 4 new evaluation codes—3 for evaluation and 1 for reevaluation. The new codes will enable PTs to describe the complexity of their patients' clinical presentation and other important contextual factors that will affect their care and outcomes. Here's a quick look at what's to come.