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Code 88300 for sendouts

J

jaml1393@bellsouth.net

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9
Location
Loganville, GA
Hello
My coworkers and I are questioning whether we can code 88300, either TC or PC, for specimens we send out to another facility (ex: ciliary brushing) for electron microscopy analysis? Thanks in advance for your help. :confused:
 
Good morning and thanks so much for responding. Below is an example of our gross dictation for a nasal ciliary brushing specimen we receive in the pathology department from the OR.


Specimen #1 labeled as "left nares" and consists of a twisted wire brush with bristles tinged with light tan tissue fragments and mucous at one end. The specimen is submitted to _______Hospital for electron microscopy analysis

After we receive the specimen, we send it to another location for electron microscopy analysis. They code 88348 TC, we code 88348 PC (our pathologists interpret it). My question now is whether we can also code 88330 (either TC or PC) for sending the specimen for electron microscopy analysis.

Thanks for your help :o
 
I will assist as best I can, but on this question, I would appreciate input from others. I've read through Padget's handbook and did some Internet research. I've been coding pathology for 6 years, but I've not coded this specific situation.

Some questions to clarify - is the gross done as a requirement for adequacy before sending out and did this specimen come from an intraoperative consult? If the pathologist was present at the surgery to determine adequacy of the specimen, then 88329 would be used instead of 88300.

If this was not intraoperative, then the question remains whether 88300 can be charged when the specimen is received only for forwarding to another lab. If the gross examination and preparation of the specimen is an integral part of the subsequent analysis (88348), then additionally charging 88300 may not be appropriate. However, if the reference lab requires a gross examination of the specimen prior to their receiving the specimen, then 88300 would be appropriate.

I hope other also provide input.
 
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