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Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Gynecology:

Count Q0091, G0101 Out for Post- Hysterectomy Pap Coding

Published on Fri May 27, 2011

Hint: Figure out if the Pap smear is diagnostic or screening.Warning: The rules for coding standard Paps aren't the same for Medicare patients who underwent a hysterectomy due to malignancy.Avoid botching up your post-hysterectomy claims by following our experts' coding advice for handling these tricky situations.How to Handle Post-Hysterectomy Pap ClaimsProblem: When a Medicare patient returns after a hysterectomy (for a malignant condition) for follow-up vaginal Pap smears in your office, should you report 99212 or 99213, or should you just report Q0091?Watch out: First of all, you should not report Q0091 (Screening Papanicolaou smear; obtaining, preparing and conveyance of cervical or vaginal smear to laboratory), because this code refers to collection of a screening Pap smear.After a hysterectomy that the ob-gyn performed to treat cancer, all of the Paps will be diagnostic, not screening. Therefore, you should report the Paps with an E/M code (for example, 99213, Office or [...]
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