Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: What diagnosis code would I use if the patient is requesting labs for work?

Virginia Subscriber

Answer: You should go one of the following codes for the visit:

• Z00.00 (Encounter for general adult medical examination without abnormal findings)
• Z00.01 (Encounter for general adult medical examination with abnormal findings)
• Z01.89 (Encounter for other specified special examinations)

But as the patient is also requesting lab tests required for her employment, and if you were screening for a particular disease, you’d use the screening code that applies. For instance, a nurse might need a screening test for tuberculosis prior to being hired and the code for this test would be Z11.1 (Encounter for screening for respiratory tuberculosis).