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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Match Pap Screening and Interpretation

Published on Mon Aug 06, 2012

Question: When our lab gets requests for a Pap test ordered with V76.2 , I've been told that we should code the test as 88141. But from what I've found on the Medicare Website, the correct code is P3000. Could you please clarify correct coding for Pap tests?California SubscriberAnswer: When a physician orders a screening Pap smear using ICD-9 code V76.2 (Screening for malignant neoplasms of the cervix, routine cervical Papanicolaou smear), you should assign the CPT® or HCPCS Level II technical code for the test based on the payer and the lab method used. The code you reference, P3000 (Screening Papanicolaou smear, cervical or vaginal, up to three smears, by technician under physician supervision) would be the proper code for a Medicare beneficiary if the lab processes traditional Pap smear slides (not thin layer preparation) that a lab tech screens for abnormality (as opposed to an automated system) under [...]
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