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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Skip Mohs Codes or Lose TC Pay

Published on Thu Dec 06, 2012

Question: Our lab prepares the slides for the surgeon that performs Mohs. Can we charge a technical component, and if so, what code should we use? Texas Subscriber Answer: No, there is no way for you to report the technical component for preparing Mohs slides. Codes 17311-+17315 (Mohs micrographic technique, including removal of all gross tumor, surgical excision of tissue specimens, mapping, color coding of specimens, microscopic examination of specimens by the surgeon, and histopathologic preparation including routine stain[s] [e.g., hematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue] ...) include the histopathology prep and evaluation. CPT® guidelines with these codes state that Mohs "requires a single physician to act in two integrated but separate and distinct capacities: surgeon and pathologist. If either of these responsibilities is delegated to another physician who reports the services separately, these codes should not be reported." Additionally, CPT® Assistant (November 2006) includes this: "'modified' Mohs: A procedure in [...]
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