Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
CMS Designates Additional Lab Procedures As 'CLIA-Waived'
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Plus: CMS agrees to cover sleep testing when a physician is initially diagnosing a patient with obstructive sleep apnea. Effective April 1, you'll be able to report a slate of additional codes as "CLIA-wavied," thanks to Feb. 27 CMS transmittal 1689. According to the directive, you'll have to append modifier QW (CLIA-waived test) to the newly-approved CLIA-waived codes, which include the following, among others:
• 81003 -- Consult diagnostics urine analyzer
• 87880 -- Henry Schein one step+ strep A dipstick test
• 83036 -- Siemens DCA 2000 and 2000+ analyzer
• 82947 and 82950-82952 -- Abbott iSTAT G Cartridge (Whole blood)
• 84295, 84132, and 85014 --Abbott i-STAT E3+ Cartridge (Whole blood)
• 83986 -- Common sense Ltd. Norma-Sense vaginal discharge pH test
• 80101 -- Mossman Associates NicCheck I Test Strips
To read CMS' transmittal 1689, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R1689CP.pdf. To read the MLN Matters article, visit www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/MM6370.pdf.
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