# Proper PAP smear coding in PCP office



## jmeberst314@gmail.com (Jul 27, 2012)

Hello! 
I work in a family practice and we get a fair share of annual pap visits. I just came from dermatology so I am a little lost here. What is the proper coding for a PAP smear? My providers do the exam and send the swab to a lab then the lab sends us the results. The previous billers were only coding a comprehensive visit with V72.31, is this correct? Can we bill from the cytopathology 88141 series? Also should this be billed as a comprehensive visit? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!


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## mitchellde (Jul 27, 2012)

you do not use the 88141 as that is for the lab, you do code only the V72.31 unless it is a vaginal pap then you add the V76.47 with the appropriate V88.xx code.  You code a preventive E&M code for the encounter.


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