Wiki Do I wait for a path report in ambulatory facility coding?

chetubig001

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We code for 17 GI Facilities. I've been searching everywhere for documentation stating if I need to request a path for biopsies based on facility based coding guidelines. We have our higher up's wanting us to prove (with documentation) why we need to request paths from the physicians. Coders here say yes we need them, Mgmt says no we don't. That the Physician's office would need the paths but the facility doesn't. Can anyone help? PLEASE!!!
 
waiting for a path report in ambulatory facility coding?

If I understand you correctly...I work for an ASC and I was taught in order to code correctly, you had to wait for the path results. However, the only documentation I have is from my instructor who is one of the higher up's at Pinnacle Partners.
 
Waiting for path results in ASC

There are 2 schools of thought. One is that the procedure is coded prior to the path results and the other is to wait. Both are correct and acceptable. You can code without the path report because you code WHAT YOU KNOW at the time of coding. If you choose to wait for the path report you also will be coding WHAT YOU KNOW at the time of coding.
 
I agree that both ways are acceptable, however, I feel that waiting is best in order to assign the most correct code.
 
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