Reader Question:
Specimen Handling
Published on Sun Apr 01, 2001
Question: When and how do I use 99000?
California Subscriber
Answer: Code 99000 (handling and/or conveyance of specimen for transfer from the physicians office to a laboratory) was intended for use when office staff had to personally take a specimen to the lab, but some office practices have been successful in billing this code to the payer for the handling of a Pap smear specimen, transferring urine analysis to the lab or preparing and labeling blood work. This does not represent the majority of experience, however, since most payers do not pay anything on this code. To make matters worse, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists coding committee has the official position that the collection and handling of the Pap smear specimen should be considered part of the exam and not coded separately.
