Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: I'm new to pathology coding, and I see codes such as 88305 with modifier 76. I've been told it's for "multiple units," but shouldn't I just bill the code x number of units? Illinois SubscriberAnswer: There's no hard and fast rule about how to bill when your pathologist legitimately examines multiple surgical pathology specimens from the same patient on the same day -- you'll need to follow individual payer instructions.For instance: If the pathologist examines a skin lesion from the left forearm and a skin lesion from the right calf, the pathologist's service is two separate instances of 88305 (Level IV -- Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination, skin, other than cyst/tag/debridement/plastic repair).Depending on your payer, you might fill out the claim form various ways, as follows:88305 x 2 -- Some payers accept units, and that's all you need to report.88305 and 88305-59 (Distinct procedural service) -- Some payers want to see modifier [...]