CPT® codes to enhance NIH’s public registry for genetic testing

A new agreement between the AMA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will make a public registry for genetic testing a more valuable resource for physicians. Under the agreement, CPT® codes for molecular pathology tests will be integrated into the NIH’s Genetic Testing Registry (GTR), a centralized public source of information about genetic tests. The AMA-created CPT codes describe the latest advances in genetic testing and molecular diagnostic services, enabling physicians and others to report and track such services.The GTR provides essential information about genetic testing, including test names, associated health conditions, the purpose of each test and the relevant genes. The registry is managed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a division of the National Library of Medicine at NIH.