Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: We have physician clients from a rehab facility that frequently order our standard drug screen panel, plus an additional quantitative test for the treatment drug, Suboxone. We perform the qualitative multi-drug screen using chromatography, but must separately run the quantitative Suboxone test using a liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer. How should we bill for the testing?California SubscriberAnswer: For non-Medicare payers, report the chromatographic drug screen using 80100 (Drug screen, qualitative; multiple drug classes, chromatographic method, each procedure). Because the Suboxone test is a quantitative analysis, you should list that service using 83925 (Opiate[s], drug and metabolite[s], each procedure). CPT® defines each "procedure" for 80100 as each chromatographic stationary and mobile phase. That means you'll report 80100 if the test detects multiple drugs using a single stationary/mobile phase. But you should list multiple units of 80100 if the drug detection involves one stationary phase with multiple mobile phases. Because the Suboxone test [...]