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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Step-by-Step Guide to Flawless Diagnostic Pap Coding

Published on Tue Mar 24, 2009

Avoid 5 blunders that will sink your claims. With 15 CPT Pap test choices, you have plenty of opportunity for missteps when choosing the right code. Make sure you don't fall into the following five traps when filing your lab's Pap claims: 1. Confusing Screening and Diagnostic Pap Tests Physicians order screening tests in the absence of signs or symptoms of disease. For many patients, you-ll see V76.2 (Special screening for malignant neoplasms; cervix:routine cervical Papanicolaou smear) to explain the reason for the test, explains Sean Weiss, CPC, CPC-P, CMPE, CCA-P, CCP-P, senior partner at The CMC Group, LLC in Atlanta. On the other hand: -If a patient presents with symptoms or a personal history that indicates a need for the test, the Pap smear is a diagnostic test,- says Melanie Witt,RN, CPC, COBGC, MA, a coding expert based in Guadalupita, N.M. Specifically, Medicare considers a Pap diagnostic if the [...]
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