# Routine Pap Code.....



## TiffanyNH (Oct 8, 2009)

Can any one tell me what the code for a routine pap smear would be??  Non medicare pt..  I hv researched and I hv gotten varying answers and codes...  Txs for your help!!!


Tiffany


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## mitchellde (Oct 8, 2009)

Are you wanting a dx code the path code or the visit code?


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## TiffanyNH (Oct 8, 2009)

Cpt code please... txs


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## mitchellde (Oct 8, 2009)

There is no CPT code for pap, it is part of the E&M visit level under his/her examination of the patient.


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## Lisa Bledsoe (Oct 8, 2009)

We have found that most of our payors accept Q0091.


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## TiffanyNH (Oct 8, 2009)

I understand you can't bill for it, because it is included with the visit, but I would have to imagine there is a cpt code for it.  Even if you don't expect to recoup payment for the service you have to code the procedure and document it.  

Q code is a medicare code, can you use that code even if it is a non medicare pt??  Txs for the help!!


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## mitchellde (Oct 8, 2009)

the Q code is designated as a carrier discretion code and may be use for most commercial carriers, but there is no CPT code for this as it is not truely considered a procedure, it is an examination.


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## Lisa Bledsoe (Oct 8, 2009)

TiffanyNH said:


> I understand you can't bill for it, because it is included with the visit, but I would have to imagine there is a cpt code for it.  Even if you don't expect to recoup payment for the service you have to code the procedure and document it.
> 
> Q code is a medicare code, can you use that code even if it is a non medicare pt??  Txs for the help!!



Q0091 is for obtaining the pap smear and it can be used with most commercial carriers.


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## tanyaharberts (Oct 8, 2009)

Our office bills 88142-90 for non-medicare paps.  We use automated thin layer preparation and send it to an outside lab (modifier 90).  If you look in the CPT book above 88142 it states, "Codes 88141-88155...are used to report cervical or vaginal screening by various methods and to report physician interpretation services."  See if any of these codes describe what your office does.


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## codernickie (Oct 8, 2009)

hey trpescott,
if you bill 88142-90 doesn't the lab interp the results and send it back to the physician. so do you still code 88142-90.   we usually use 99213-99214 (depending) with modifier 25 and G0101 for pelvic and breast exam, most payers pay for the G0101.

also if we do a pap and send it to the lab and the lab said it was inclusive and no results were made, how do we bill the office visit when the patients comes back in to redo the pap.  usually we use the v code for abnormal pap, but on this one the result were never made

Need help, thanks

Nickie, CPC


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## mitchellde (Oct 8, 2009)

tprescott said:


> Our office bills 88142-90 for non-medicare paps.  We use automated thin layer preparation and send it to an outside lab (modifier 90).  If you look in the CPT book above 88142 it states, "Codes 88141-88155...are used to report cervical or vaginal screening by various methods and to report physician interpretation services."  See if any of these codes describe what your office does.



Those are the path codes though for the pathologist to use.


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## mitchellde (Oct 8, 2009)

mitchellde said:


> Those are the path codes though for the pathologist to use.



The coders desk reference for 88142 states:
"At the lab special instruments take the cells in the preservative suspension and "plate-out" a monolayer for screening-the careful review of the specimen for abnormal cells."
If you are obtaining the cells and plating them in a preservative suspension and sending it to the lab, then this is not the code for that activity.  The Q code is for obtaining the specimen.


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## TiffanyNH (Oct 9, 2009)

Wow guys thanks sooooo much for all the info you guys ROCK!!  I really appreciate it!!!  I love that we can pick each others brains about this stuff!!!


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## Lisa Bledsoe (Oct 9, 2009)

mitchellde said:


> The coders desk reference for 88142 states:
> "At the lab special instruments take the cells in the preservative suspension and "plate-out" a monolayer for screening-the careful review of the specimen for abnormal cells."
> If you are obtaining the cells and plating them in a preservative suspension and sending it to the lab, then this is not the code for that activity.  The Q code is for obtaining the specimen.



Ditto - you can't code any of these codes 88141-88155 in the physician office.


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## tanyaharberts (Oct 9, 2009)

Wow, this is how our office has billed them for years.  I will have to bring this up to my supervisor.  Thanks everyone!


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