Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the
answer.

Question: What is the code for performing a vaginal pH, a diagnosis of hirsutism, and a code for injecting Rhogam (not the drug, just the injection fee)?

Oklahoma Subscriber                                
 Answer: Code 83986 (pH, body fluid, except blood) is reported for a vaginal pH. It is a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988) waived test that you can bill for if you have applied for and been granted a certificate. If you perform even one test, the federal government considers you a laboratory and you must register with the CLIA program. To do this you must fill out the HCFA-116 form (which can be obtained directly from the Web site www.cms.hhs.gov/clia/cliaapp.asp). You then send this form to your local state agency for processing.    

The ICD-9 code for hirsutism is 704.1, and the CPT code for injecting the Rhogam is 90782 (Therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic injection [specify material injected]; subcutaneous or intramuscular). If you were also billing for the drug, depending on the dosage, you would report CPT codes 90384 (Rho[D] immune globulin [RhIg], human, full-dose, for intramuscular use), 90385 ( mini-dose ...) or HCPCS code J2790 (Injection, Rho[D], immune globulin, human, 1 dose package).