Urology Coding Alert
Prostate Cultures
New York Subscriber
Answer: On occasion a urologist will massage the prostate to obtain prostatic secretions. The urologist can look at the smear right in the office. If billing Medicare, code Q0111 (wet mounts, including preparations of vaginal, cervical, or skin specimens). Most urologists have adequate CLIA certification to perform this test. To bill Medicare for looking at the smear, the urologist needs a higher-level CLIA certification: level 3 or 4. When billing a private payer for looking at the smear, code 87210 (smear, primary source with interpretation; wet mount for infectious agents [e.g., saline, India ink, KOH preps). If you stain the smear, code 87205 (smear, primary source with interpretation; Gram or Giemsa stain for bacteria, fungi, or cell types). If you want to grow bacteria to screen presumptively for infection, code 87081 (culture, presumptive, pathogenic organisms, screening only). If there is positive growth, and you want to test it against antibiotics with susceptibility studies using a disk, code 87184 (susceptibility studies, antimicrobial agent; disk method, per plate [12 or fewer agents]). The diagnosis code for these tests is prostatitis (601.x).
Urology Coding Alert
- New CPT Prosthesis, Excision Codes Highlight Changes for 2002
CPT 2002 makes new codes available that will improve reimbursement for urologists. New [...] - ICD-9 Codes for 2002 Affect Billing of Prostate Disorders
Urologists can now code prostate problems with greater specificity because of new ICD-9 codes [...] - You Be the Coder:
Prostate Cryosurgery
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - CCI Bundles Foreign-Body Removal into Cystoscopy
The stent coding dilemma has been resolved with CCI version 7.3, effective Oct. 1, 2001, [...] - Coding Diagnostic Tests Issue Has Been Resolved
The ongoing controversy over whether to use signs and symptoms or the test result to [...] - News Brief:
CMS Requires Carriers To Cover Sacral Nerve Stimulation
As of January, urologists will be able to bill Medicare for sacral nerve stimulation for [...] - Reader Question:
Prostate Cultures
Question: When the urologists in our office perform prostate cultures, how should we code?
New York [...] - Reader Question:
Retrieval Through Nephrostomy Tube
Question: Our physician performed a basket retrieval through an already existing nephrostomy tube. How can [...] - Reader Question:
BPH With Hyperplasia
Question: What diagnosis code should we use for BPH with two areas of atypical hyperplasia?
Connecticut [...]
