Pathology/Lab Coding Alert
Learn Codes for CF Smear and Culture
Question: A physician orders a direct sputum acid-fast stain and culture for mycobacteria for a patient with cystic fibrosis showing pulmonary exacerbation. Which diagnosis and procedure codes should we report? Answer: You should report the cystic fibrosis diagnosis to the fifth digit. Because the ordering physician stated, "pulmonary exacerbation," the narrative description points to a diagnosis of 277.02 (Cystic fibrosis; with pulmonary manifestations).
New York Subscriber
The physician ordered two tests -- an acid-fast bacillus stain on a direct sputum smear, and a sputum culture for mycobacteria. Code the two procedures as follows:
Pathology/Lab Coding Alert
- New CPT Code:
Let 88361 Solve Your IHC/Morphometry Bundling Dilemma - You Be The Coder:
FNA Includes All Slides
Question: We received a fine needle aspiration (FNA) of a breast lesion that required examination [...] - Quick Quiz:
Test Your FISH Coding Skills
You know how to use 88361 for tests such as Her-2/neu protein overexpression, but do [...] - News You Can Use:
Is Medicare Denying Your 'Abnormal Bleeding' Claims?
Find out why CMS now pays for 863.91-863.99
When you use truncated diagnosis codes, you get [...] - Coding Basics:
Report the Most Specific Diagnosis
You won't get paid for truncated codes
If your lab gets a [...] - PPM Labs:
CMS Says You Should Use 89055
Stop using Q0111 for fecal leukocyte exam
CPT 89055 is out of limbo -- [...] - CLIA Certification:
Level May Change How You Perform -- and Code -- the Test
Your lab's Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification level can dictate both lab methods and [...] - Reader Question:
Learn Codes for CF Smear and Culture
Question: A physician orders a direct sputum acid-fast stain and culture for mycobacteria for a [...] - Reader Question:
Report Add-On With Primary Service
Question: If the lab performs a PAS stain for fungus on an esophageal brushing, should [...] - Reader Question:
88323 Requires Interpretation and Report
Question: Our lab prepares only routine stains for surgical pathology exams, and we are having [...] - Reader Question:
Use 87077 for CLO Test
Question: What is a CLO test, and how should I code it?
Missouri Subscriber Answer: [...] - Reader Question:
Report -26 for Decalcification and Stain
Question: I bill for an independent pathologist's professional services, which he performs at a hospital [...]
