CPT 2003 Overhauls Hematology Codes
Published on Sun Dec 01, 2002
You need to rethink your understanding of blood counts to keep up with this year's code changes.
"With multiple deletions, additions and revisions to hematology and coagulation codes (85002-85999), CPT 2003 changes the basic structure of the section," says William Dettwyler, MT-AMT, coding analyst for Health Systems Concepts, a laboratory coding and compliance consulting firm in Longwood, Fla.
"Despite numerous changes, labs may not see a big difference in their coding because the most common blood count codes still describe the same procedures, even if the wording has changed," says Peggy Slagle, CPC, billing compliance coordinator at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. "Other changes are a welcome reorganization, such as moving all the blood counts to one family of codes." Blood Counts Redefined CPT Codes 2003 redefines complete blood count (CBC) it now includes platelet count but not differential count and no longer uses the term "hemogram" to describe any hematology tests. Only two codes remain of what used to be seven different automated or manual hemogram codes (85021-85031) that listed varying combinations of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct), differential WBC count, and platelet count. For the two remaining codes, only the number stays the same the definitions use the CBC rather than hemogram terminology as follows: 85025 Blood count; complete (CBC), automated (Hgb, Hct, RBC, WBC and platelet count) and automated differential WBC count 85027 Blood count; complete (CBC), automated (Hgb, Hct, RBC, WBC and platelet count). "Despite the new definitions, you'd use codes 85025 and 85027 much as you used to because they still represent the same lab tests," Dettwyler says. One difference is that now you would use code 85025 with either a complete or partial differential WBC because CPT 2003 deletes 85024 for partial differential. Don't Pair Manual/Automated, Component/Comprehensive To report an automated differential WBC without a CBC, use new code 85004 (Blood count; automated differential WBC count). Report blood smears with or without manual differential WBC using the following CPT 2003 modified codes: 85007 Blood count; blood smear, microscopic examination with manual differential WBC count 85008 ... blood smear, microscopic examination without manual differential WBC count. "The updated wording for these two codes doesn't change the nature of the tests. You should continue to use them the same as you have under past CPT versions," Dettwyler says.
With slightly revised wording, the same codes for components of CBC remain in CPT 2003: 85014 Blood count; hematocrit (Hct) 85018 ... hemoglobin (Hgb) 85041 ... red blood cell (RBC), automated. [...]
