Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Use the listed code -- every time.Q. When is a skin specimen not a skin specimen? A. When it's a lipoma. Truth is, you can insert just about any tissue type into the preceding question and you'll have the same answer. Making a lipoma coding error can cost your pathologist appropriate pay -- or set you up to reimburse for overpayment. Use the following three tips to optimize your lipoma coding know-how:Lipoma is the Exception, Not the RuleA lipoma, which can occur just about anywhere in the body, is a benign neoplasm composed of mature fat cells. But that's where your medical terminology knowledge can lead you astray.ICD-9 segregates lipoma: According to ICD-9 code definitions and neoplasm table, you'll list most benign neoplasms with a code based on the tumor location (such as 217, Benign neoplasm of breast). But ICD-9 has separate codes for lipoma (214.x, Lipoma ...) that you must use [...]