Wiki Screening for covid

[skrol210]

We are starting to receive calls from our patients requesting a covid test done because they have a school function to attend and it requires a covid test to be done. If patient comes in that is asymptomatic and has a visit with the provider and then a test done with no known exposure to covid which ICD10 code should we use? I am reading everywhere that during the pandemic it is not appropriate to use Z11.52 (screening for COVID-19) or any other screening code such as Z11.59. And also the insurance company is not suppose to be covering this. Any suggestions?

 

[thomas7331]

All the guidance I've read up until now has directed providers to use Z20.822 to support COVID-19 tests for patients who are being tested as a precaution or who don't have specific symptoms that the provider is investigating as a possible COVID-19 illness.

 

[mycoding]

Now that we have such an influx of asymptomatic patients being tested prior to returning to work and those who have to test constantly since they are not taking the vaccine, are we still following that guidance of billing Z20.822 and not Z11.52 as we are still in a pandemic? Thanks.