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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Reader Question:

TB Skin Test

Published on Fri Feb 01, 2002

Question: When we bill a TB skin test (CPT 86580 ), should we also bill a therapeutic injection code?

Tennessee Subscriber  
Answer: No, you would not bill a therapeutic injection code in addition to the tuberculosis skin test 86580 (skin test; tuberculosis, intradermal). The code for the TB skin test involves the injection of the tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) and the interpretation of the results.
 
Do not confuse this test with the TB tine test. The tine test is reported with 86585 (skin test; tuberculosis, tine test) and does not involve an intradermal injection. Rather, a four-pronged disk is dipped in tuberculin and applied to the forearm. This code also includes the administration and interpretation of the results.
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