Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Watch for immunology and surgical pathology changes, too

Starting Jan. 1, you have new clinical lab codes to use when you report testing for conditions such as chest pains, pancreatic disorders, ulcers, Down's syndrome, and respiratory ailments. And the new cytopathology and surgical pathology codes for flow cytometry and morphometric analysis will allow you to more accurately report those services.

Be sure to get a new CPT book so you'll have all the coding changes, including revised and deleted codes and new instructional notes, says Laurie Castillo, MA, CPC, CPC-H, CCS-P, owner of Castillo Consulting in Manassas, Va.

Beginning this month, Pathology/Lab Coding Alert will take an in-depth look at what these codes mean for your lab.

For starters, read "Get Ready for Morphometric Analysis Code Changes", Article 1.

New CPT 2005 Laboratory and Pathology Codes

Our coding experts have learned many of the new laboratory and pathology codes, and you can get a valuable first glimpse by perusing the table above.