Lucid Diagnostics Inc. announced on September 22, 2026, that it has made progress regarding payment, billing, and coding pathways for its EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test and EsoCheck Esophageal Cell Collection Device. The company reported that these advances followed three public meetings held during the week of September 15, 2026.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held a special Medicare Advisory Panel on Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests (CDLT) on September 15-16. The panel recommended maintaining the original gapfill payment basis for EsoGuard, specifically under PLA code 0114U. This payment rate took effect during the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule Update for calendar year 2021. CMS has posted a consent agenda reflecting this recommendation and is expected to issue final determinations in November following a public comment period.
In a separate development, the American Medical Association (AMA) held its September 2026 Hybrid CPT Editorial Panel Meeting on September 17-19. The panel approved the addition of a new Category III CPT code for reporting nonendoscopic esophageal cell collection. Lucid stated that this code will allow physicians and health systems to report and track office-based esophageal cell collection procedures performed with EsoCheck.
Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (CDC/NCHS) hosted the diagnosis code portion of the ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting on September 15-16. The committee considered a proposed new ICD-10-CM diagnosis code, R85.83, submitted by Lucid and supported by the American Foregut Society. This code is intended to report positive results for the two methylated DNA biomarkers targeted by EsoGuard. The proposal was positively received by the committee, and Lucid expects the code to be finalized following a public comment period.
Regarding immediate operations, Lucid owns two CLIA-certified laboratories in Lake Forest, California, and Irving, Texas. The company stated that it will begin submitting Medicare claims under EsoGuard’s PLA code, 0114U, for tests performed at its Texas laboratory this month. For its California laboratory, claims will begin once a final revised EsoGuard Local Coverage Determination (LCD) resulting from a pending reconsideration request is effective.
