Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Showing medical necessity means choosing the right V code. If youre using V72.31 (Routine gynecological examination) or V76.2 (Special screening for malignant neoplasm; cervix) to report a screening human papillomavirus (HPV) test in addition to a Pap test, think again. Although intricately tied to cervical cancer, testing for HPV isnt always necessary to diagnose the disease. Thats why you must use a different V code to demonstrate that the physician specifically ordered a medically-necessary HPV test in addition to a Pap test. That code is V73.81 (Special screening examination for viral and chlamydial diseases; other specified viral and chlamydial diseases; human papillomavirus [HPV]). Dont Assume HPV Testing Necessity HPV testing presents a dilemma, according to Melanie Witt, RN, CPC, COBGC, MA, a coding expert based in Guadalupita, N.M. Although virtually every woman who develops significant squamous lesions first had an HPV infection, most women who have an HPV infection never [...]