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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Reserve +88388 for Use With Intraoperative Consults

Published on Sat Jun 12, 2010

CCI 16.2 bundles 88387 with surgical consult codes.In case you're having trouble choosing between 88387 (Macroscopic examination, dissection, and preparation of tissue for nonmicroscopic analytical studies [e.g., nucleic acid-based molecular studies]; each tissue preparation [e.g., a single lymph node]) and +88388 (... in conjunction with a touch imprint, intraoperative consultation, or frozen section, each tissue preparation [e.g., a single lymph node] [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]), CCI 16.2 adds some new edit pairs to clear things up. +88388 Zeros in on 'Intraoperative'Because the +88388 definition directs you to use the code in conjunction with "touch imprint, intraoperative consultation, or frozen section," it's the right choice for use with 88329- 88334 (Pathology consultation during surgery ...)."The +88388 service involves macroscopic tissue exam and  prep, so you can report the code for intraoperative consults that involve gross only or gross and microscopic exams," says Peggy Slagle, CPC, billing [...]
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