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Pulmonology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

82800-82810: No Professional Component Applies

Published on Mon Feb 28, 2011

Question: Can I bill for a professional component when a pulmonologist orders an arterial blood gas test?Answer: No. CPT Assistant tells us that a physician may only bill for the professional component of a laboratory test (e.g., medical direction, supervision or interpretation) when the technical and professional components are performed by different providers.The physician fee schedule from Medicare (MPFSDB) shows when codes have both a technical (modifier TC) component and a professional (modifier 26) component that may be billed separately. Arterial blood gas test (ABG, 82800-82810) does not. In fact, the PC/TC column of the blood gas code database tell us that the "concept of a professional/technical component does not apply."
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