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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Let Payer Guide Screening Pap Code Choice

Published on Sat Oct 09, 2010

Question: Our lab performs a liquid-based screening Pap, and finding abnormality, refers the slide to the pathologist who diagnoses LGSIL. How should we code these procedures? Tennessee SubscriberAnswer: The answer will be different depending on several factors such as the payer and lab method used.Select the appropriate code for the liquid-based screening Pap smear technical charge based on your payer and lab method. For non-Medicare, choose from four CPT thin layer preparation codes depending on the screening/rescreening method:88142 -- Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision88143 -- ... with manual screening and rescreening under physician supervision88174 -- ... screening by automated system, under physician supervision88175 -- ... with screening by automated system and manual rescreening or review, under physician supervisionFor Medicare, select the appropriate HCPCS Level II "G" code based on the same criterion:G0123 -- Screening cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting [...]
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