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Updated COVID-19 Provisional Codes in Value Set Authority Center

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has updated the Value Set Authority Center (VSAC) with several additional provisional terminology codes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of 4/23/2020, the following standard terminologies (CPT®, LOINC®, and SNOMED CT®) have added provisional codes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the most up to date information available at the time of their creation:

Code System

VSAC Code System Version*

Additional Information

CPT

Provisional_2020-04-20

CPT COVID-19 coding and guidance

HCPCS

Provisional_2020-03-26

CMS Develops Additional Code for Coronavirus Lab Tests, 3/5/2020

ICD-10-CM

Provisional_2020-03-26

New ICD-10-CM code for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), 3/18/2020

LOINC

Provisional_2020-04-20

LOINC Prerelease Terms, Special Use Codes Only

SNOMED CT

Provisional_2020-04-23

Pre-Release COVID-19 Related Content

*The “VSAC Code System Version” designation is a VSAC-created element based on the VSAC acquisition date of the provisional codes. Each VSAC provisional code system version contains all provisional codes, cumulatively, until the terminology incorporates their provisional codes into a formal release.

Be aware that downstream users may not be ready to handle prerelease codes until they are published in an official terminology release.

The SNOMED CT US Edition 20200301 included COVID-19 related codes in the formal release. The INTERIM March 2020 International Edition release, created as part of the ongoing global effort to tackle the Coronavirus outbreak, provided updated Coronavirus descriptions for Members and implementers. VSAC updated the SNOMED CT US Edition 20200301 descriptions accordingly, on 04/03/2020. See SNOMED CT COVID-19 Related Content--Released & Published Content.

Visit the VSAC Support Center page on how to include provisional codes in your VSAC value sets.

Send questions to the VSAC Contact Us.

Last Updated: Mar 05, 2022