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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

CPT® 2013:

81200-81479: Get Ready for Molecular Pathology Overhaul

Published on Thu Dec 06, 2012

Don't miss 'unlisted' molecular code 81479. You had over 100 new molecular codes in 2012 that you probably never needed to use, but the safety net is gone, starting Jan. 1, 2013. That's because CPT® and CMS changes leave you no choice but to radically alter how you report these tests. Expect to bill the appropriate CPT® 2012 or new 2013 code from the range 81200-81479 if your lab performs molecular pathology testing. Let our experts bring you up to speed on the how and why of these changes. 'Stacking' and Array Deletions Close Options Despite having 101 new CPT® 2012 molecular pathology codes (81200-81048), most labs continued to report their tests using the "stacking codes" (83890-83914, Molecular diagnostics ...) or array codes 88384-88386 (Array-based evaluation of multiple molecular probes ...) in 2012. That option is gone, beginning Jan. 1, because CPT® 2013 deletes 83890-83914 as well as 88384-88386. For [...]
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