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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

READER QUESTION:

Panel Code Includes Every Test

Published on Sun Jun 01, 2003

Question: Our lab performed the following tests for a patient per physician order: 84295 (Sodium; serum), CPT 84132 (Potassium; serum), 82947 (Glucose; quantitative, blood [except reagent strip]), 82565 (Creatinine; blood), 82435 (Chloride; blood), 82374 (Carbon dioxide [bicarbonate]), 82310 (Calcium; total). These represent all the tests in the basic metabolic panel except one. Should we code these individually or use the panel code? Georgia Subscriber Answer: You should not report a panel code unless you perform every test in that panel. Do not report the service you performed as 80048 (Basic metabolic panel) because your lab did not perform the final test in the panel, 84520 (Urea nitrogen; quantitative). If you perform a panel and additional tests, however, you should report that panel plus each extra test. The preamble to the CPT section for organ or disease oriented panel states that "these panel components are not intended to limit the performance of other tests. If one performs tests in addition to those specifically indicated for a particular panel, those tests should be reported separately in addition to the panel code."  
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