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Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Compliance:

Rely on Provider’s Documentation, Not Test Results

Published on Mon Apr 06, 2026

Question: I can see that a patient’s urine drug screen shows barbiturates and cannabis/marijuana. The provider noted substance abuse in the chart but didn’t specify the substance(s) or the intensity of abuse. Can I code it anyway, since I can see the test results? Georgia Subscriber Answer: No, you should send the provider a query instead, so you can report [...]
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