Lucid Diagnostics Inc.

A Medicare Advisory Panel on Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests recommended maintaining EsoGuard's original gapfill payment basis under the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, and CMS has posted a consent agenda reflecting that recommendation with final determinations expected in November after a public comment period.

Separately, the AMA CPT Editorial Panel approved a new Category III CPT code for reporting nonendoscopic esophageal cell collection performed with EsoCheck, giving physicians and health systems a billing pathway to track office-based collection procedures and their outcomes.

A proposed ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (R85.83) for positive EsoGuard results, submitted by Lucid and supported by the American Foregut Society, drew a favorable response from the CDC/NCHS ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee; once finalized it would let physicians document the rationale for confirmatory endoscopy.

Lucid will begin submitting Medicare claims under EsoGuard's PLA code 0114U at its Texas laboratory this month, while California claims wait until a revised local coverage determination from its pending reconsideration request takes effect — collectively advancing Medicare payment, billing and coding for its esophageal precancer test.