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Urology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Urethral Swab

Published on Mon Jul 01, 2002

Question: How should we code a urethral swab? Oregon Subscriber Answer: There is no specific CPT code for a urethral swab. It is included in the E/M services provided, unless it is performed in your office lab and you are doing a culture. If you do a urethral culture in your office lab, you should report 87070 (Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates). Actual specimen collection is included in the laboratory code.  
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