# Blood alcohol test in the ED



## Rita Bartholomew (Apr 19, 2017)

We're having an issue with blood alcohol tests in the ED for Medicare patients.  With the 2017 changes, we have to code them with G0480 which is for all sources, but they're denying based on the LCD for _urine_ drug tests.  Our ED docs are sometimes using alcohol use code rather than alcohol dependence, so those claims are failing medical necessity.  Is anyone else encountering this problem?  And how are you resolving it?


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