Wiki 88150

[Leandra]

I desperately need some input from someone with experience in path/lab field! We bill for family practice docs and an outside source is telling us that we should be billing 88150 when collecting a pap smear - I have never billed this code for this reason. I read the description of 88150 and it sounds like a code for the lab/pathology department to use NOT the provider billing for obtaining the pap smear. Thanks in advance!

 

[jaaroncpc@gmail.com]

Pass Through Billing

Good Morning Leandra,

My name is John, I work for a national clinical lab and you are correct!

However, it also depends on whether or not the payer you are billing allows-"Pass-Through Billing" and the arrangement under which you created the order.

For example, even though the lab performed the examination of the pap if you sent the order to them and ask them to bill your practice "And" the payer allows "Pass-Through" then it would be okay.

In closing, if you provided the patient insurance information to the lab so that "They" could do the billing then yes-88150 would not be used by the practice but rather the lab.

John Aaron Jr, CPC
Illinois