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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

IHS Stain Unit Change Could Benefit Your Bottom Line

Published on Fri Aug 13, 2010

Count specimens -- or maybe blocks to get all the pay you deserveFor years the immunohistochemistry unit-of-service standard has been "per stain per specimen." But what if you have multiple blocks and slides from a single specimen, and the case involves an immunohistochemistry stain on multiple slides from each block -- as is often the case. Should you still report just one unit? The answer is -- that depends. According to coding convention supported by the AMA and the College of American Pathologists, the answer is yes: the unit of service for IHC stains is "per stain, per specimen."Take Note of Medicare InstructionIn a departure from common coding practice, Medicare's Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) Policy Manual version 15.3 states, "If it is medically reasonable and necessary to perform the same stain on more than one ... block of tissue from the same specimen, additional units of service may be reported for the additional [...]
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