Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

These rules let you capture allowed lab prothrombin time pay without breaking inclusion, frequency edits. To clinch proper lab payment for monitoring patients on anticoagulation medication like warfarin (Coumadin), you-ve got to stick to prothrombin time testing's coverage and procedure-coding rules. Follow these five steps to get the coding right -- every time: 1. Append QW to Capture This Lab PT Code -Physicians often use PT to assess patient response to the drug warfarin,- says Barb Miller, MT (ASCP) SH, clinical lab specialist with Nebraska Medical center in Omaha. When patients on warfarin therapy come to the lab or -Coumadin clinic- for periodic testing to assess their anticoagulation status, you should report 85610 (Prothrombin time) for the test. Remember the modifier: If your lab operates with a CLIA certificate of waiver, you-ll need to append modifier QW (CLIA waived test) to 85610. 2. Don't Double-Dip for INR Labs express PT test [...]