DISCERN™ Receives First-in-Category PLA Codes

DISCERN™ Receives First-in-Category PLA Codes

SYNAPS Dx (SDx) is pleased to announce that DISCERN™ is the first AD test to earn Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) Codes 206U and 207U.  DISCERN™ is the first autopsy-validated, highly accurate, minimally invasive test for the definitive diagnosis of AD versus other forms of non-AD dementias and those with AD and other degenerative pathologies.

According to the American Medical Association CPT® Editorial Panel, which approves this code set, PLA codes are alpha-numeric CPT® codes with a corresponding descriptor for labs or manufacturers to more specifically identify their test. 

Relevance of PLA Codes

PLA codes now position DISCERN™ as a critical, essential component of patient-centric, value-based strategies for providers and payers, with three SDx AD biomarkers that accurately identify and distinguish AD from all other dementias. Appropriate medical coding ensures that insurers have all the diagnostic codes necessary for payment.

With a growing number of payers looking at the cost and effectiveness of new drugs and therapies for AD, as well as indicators of early-stage AD and benchmarks for coverage decisions, PLA codes distinguish the market position of DISCERN™ and impact reimbursement.  

Given that there are approximately 500,000 new cases of dementia each year in the United States, with about two million patients in years 0-3 of the disease at any given time, this opens a path for treatment earlier in the patient journey. 

The Value of DISCERN™

DISCERN™ is a critical, essential component of patient-centric, value-based strategies for providers and payers, with three SDx AD biomarkers that accurately identify and distinguish AD from all other dementias. These biomarkers measure synaptic loss and neural activity through cultures from a patient’s skin sample, and they are highly correlated to synaptic and neuronal activity in the brain. Appropriate medical coding ensures that insurers have all the diagnostic codes necessary for payment.

Research supporting DISCERN™ has been published in dozens of peer-reviewed publications, with results validated using the NIH “Gold Standard” of dementia in life and autopsy confirmation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.

With PLA codes, DISCERN™ is now on track to potentially reduce the economic burden of AD across the healthcare system. Now that demand for early-stage diagnosis is at an all-time high, the introduction of this non-invasive test reinforces our focus on supporting the most cost-effective AD treatment.

To learn more visit https://discerntest.com/.