Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

CPT® 2025:
Be Ready for Revised Genomic Sequence Codes, Updated HPV Options, and More
Know where to find resequenced codes in CPT® 2025. The official 2025 CPT® code set is o... Read more
ICD-10-CM Coding:
4 Tips Will Put You at the Head of the Neoplasm Table
Learn the right way to code metastatic cancers. If you're new to coding neoplasms, the IC... Read more
HIPAA:
Examine These 3 Cases, Stay Safe from HIPAA Violations
Avoid the fate of these healthcare entities with solid training and compliance strategies... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Focus RSV Coding With These Tips
Question: The physician orders an RSV test for a 2-year-old patient presenting with s... Read more
Reader Questions:
Get Details For Accurate BRCA1 Coding
Question: I'm doing billing for a lab that reported performing a “BRCA1 molecular ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Dx Specifics Drive Drug Test Coding
Question: We received an order for a leukemia patient to test the blood specimen for... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Let This Misstep Lower Your Ovary Pay
Question: The surgeon submitted a right oophorectomy specimen in one container with t... Read more
News You Can Use:
Here’s the Big News in the 2025 Proposed Rule
Big surprise: Another rate cut is coming. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service... Read more
Procedure Coding:
Pick Prostate Cancer Biopsy Codes Precisely
Know when to go beyond 55700. Confused as to which code to use when your provider perform... Read more
Audits:
Establish Practice Protocols For Addressing A TPE Audit
Hint: Look at your MAC's focus to troubleshoot internal issues. Whether you've already ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Decipher High-Risk HPV Test Codes
Question: Our lab performs high-risk HPV testing for cervical specimens, but I'm not... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus ER/PR Coding and More
Question: When we perform tumor immunohistochemistry for ER/PR status for breast tiss... Read more
Reader Questions:
Do This to Ensure Mole Exam Pay
Question: Our pathologist diagnosed a skin specimen from the patient's right cheek a... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Pinpoint Coding for Esophageal Bx with GERD
Question: The pathologist examined two distinct specimens from an EGD procedure for a... Read more
News You Can Use:
Get a Jump-Start on CPT® 2025
See which updates are most likely to affect the services you code. The May 2024 meeting o... Read more
Coding Quiz:
Take This Quiz, Become a Urine Culture Coding Ace
Do you know the difference between presumptive and definitive identification? You may th... Read more
Revenue Cycle:
Hear From Those Affected by the Change Healthcare Outage
Reinforce your skills with paper-based claims. More than four months have passed since m... Read more
Coding Quiz Answers:
Check Your Answers to Our Urine Culture Coding Quiz
And add these ICD-10-CM codes to your urine testing knowledge base Answer 1: Presumptive... Read more
Reader Questions:
Master Technical/Professional Reporting for Labs
Question: Could you please explain how to use modifiers 26 and TC for lab and pathol... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus Liver and Lymph Coding With This Case
Question: The pathologist received a liver wedge biopsy specimen along with a lymph n... Read more
Reader Questions:
See How Dx and Modifier Errors Can Derail Reimbursement
Question: The lab performed a urinalysis with microscopic examination for a patient w... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Distinguish Ab/Ag Tests for Lyme Disease Infectious Agent
Question: Our lab performed an antibody test for Borrelia burgdorferi for a patient w... Read more
Molecular Pathology:
Get the Answers to Your Frequently Asked Genetic Testing Questions
Here's how to make your way through the CPT® molecular pathology code set. “The geneti... Read more
Billing:
Address These Key Fields, Complete ABNs With Ease
Don't forget that every ABN form must be one single page. As every pathology practice an... Read more
Compliance:
Stay on the Right Side of the Stark Law With Key Strategies
Scrutinize your referrals to avoid inadvertent violations. Every lab has seen news headli... Read more
Reader Questions:
Rely on These Tips for Bone Cases
Question: During hip replacement surgery for a patient with severe osteoporosis, the surge... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus Blood Type Reporting
Question: We received a paternal blood specimen for blood typing as part of the neona... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Be Wise to Zika Virus Coding
Question: Our lab performed a blood test for Zika virus antigen detection for a patie... Read more
News You Can Use:
Sneak a Peek at the January 2025 CPT® Path/Lab Changes
Plus, know where to find the latest PLA and MAAA code updates. Pathology and laboratory s... Read more
Artificial Intelligence:
Streamline Lab Processes With These 5 AI Hacks
Find out if AI will save staff time for more important tasks. You may think that your lab... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Protect Your Lab With These 5 Must-Know Cybersecurity Facts
Avoid ransomware, email hacks and more by mastering the nuances of cybersecurity. Ever s... Read more
Reader Questions:
Drill Down to CMV Test Details for Proper Coding
Question: I'm new to lab coding; could you help me understand how to report a blood t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Avoid These FNA Coding Pitfalls
Question: During a thyroid lesion FNA procedure, the surgeon asks our pathologist to ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Conquer HLA Reporting Confusion
Question: The lab I code for does HLA typing and compatibility testing. Could you ple... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Documenting Separate Specimens Warrants More Pay
Question: Our pathologist received a partial pancreatectomy for diagnosis. The surgeo... Read more
CPT® Coding:
Remove These 2 Myths for Super-Clean Skin Biopsy Claims
And use this clever coding trick when your provider performs multiple biopsies. Knowing h... Read more
Practice Safety:
Keep Your Staff, Patients Safe With These Lab Precautions
Hint: Follow OSHA, but also have policies in place customized to your practice. Every l... Read more
Reimbursement:
Avoid These 8 Common Medicare Billing Errors to Keep Pay Flowing
Watch those dates of service, MAC addresses, and more. Your provider documented a claim... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus Benign Breast Dx Coding
Question: Our pathologist examined a breast biopsy and reported the diagnosis as “f... Read more
Reader Questions:
Get Specific With X{ESPU} Modifiers
Question: What are some pathology or laboratory examples of when we might use one of ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Find Escape From Denied Pap Claim
Question: The lab performed a liquid-based Pap test that the physician ordered, which... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Capture Each Step of This Renal Case
Question: During a renal biopsy procedure for a patient with chronic kidney symptoms,... Read more
CPT® Coding:
Know How to Use the Pathology Consultation Codes
Here's how to get time on your side. In 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Ser... Read more
Compliance:
Follow These 3 Best Practices to Create Compliant Documentation
Don't forget to add the date when you create a documentation addendum. Every coding profe... Read more
HIPAA:
Learn These 3 Truths and 3 Myths about PHI
Hint: De-identifying records may allow you to scrub PHI from them. From patient names t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Round Up H. Pylori Coding Options
Question: When our lab performs a test to detect H. pylori infection, how can I dete... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus Breast Cancer Dx Coding
Question: The pathologist diagnosed inflammatory breast cancer. Should we report this... Read more
Reader Questions:
Choose CLIA Category Correctly With These Resources
Question: How can I find out the categorization of a lab test under CLIA? Minnesota ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Lookout for ‘Sentinel’ Lymph Nodes
Question: As part of a partial mastectomy case, the surgeon submits a separate contai... Read more
Medicare:
3 Top Takeaways From the Newest PLA NCCI Edits
Discover which code pairs are now open to separate payment. Medicare recently added more ... Read more
Modifiers:
Master Modifier 26, TC Coding With These 5 Tips
Hint: These modifiers can't separate every lab service. When your pathologist interpre... Read more
HIPAA:
Maintain These HIPAA Best Practices, Avoid These Common Violations
Latest HIPAA report highlights how practices let PHI fall through the cracks. If your la... Read more
Reader Questions:
Recognize Multiplex Parameters
Question: The lab performs a triple antibody stain on a melanoma specimen using SOX1... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus MRI Pre-Procedure Lab Test Coding
Question: How should we code a creatinine test ordered to evaluate kidney function b... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Miss Antibody-Specific Codes
Question: A clinician ordered antibody tests for ANCA and ASCA to help distinguish f... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Sidestep Mohs Bundling Pitfalls
Question: We have a dermatology client who, when performing a Mohs procedure, sometim... Read more
CPT® Updates:
Stay Ahead of the 2024 CPT® MoPath Coding Updates
AMA code descriptors acknowledge people-first language. In 2010, Congress passed Rosa's L... Read more
Modifiers:
Know These Modifier QW Dos and Don’ts
Hint: Check the CLIA list every time you're submitting a new lab test. Some coding modif... Read more
Practice Management:
Jump-Start Your Error Reduction Program With Internal Audits
Lab tests among the most frequent Part B errors last year, CMS says. If you're not fond ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Zero In on Best Breast Tissue Specimen Choice
Question: The pathologist received a breast tissue specimen that the surgeon labeled,... Read more
Reader Questions:
Sidestep 26 With Technical Pap Code
Question: We perform Pap tests that use computer-assisted screening of liquid-based s... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look for Modifier 91 to Clarify Case
Question: A physician ordered a D-dimer test for a patient suspected of having a str... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Examine CF Genetic Testing Coverage
Question: Our lab performs genetic testing for cystic fibrosis looking only at CFTR c... Read more
CPT® 2024:
New Lab Codes Describe Diagnostic Opportunities
Look for immunology, microbiology, chemistry, and more. As clinicians test for myasthenia... Read more
2024 Final Rule:
Highlight Physician Fee Schedule Relevance to Your Lab
Gear up for more than payment changes. The final tally is in — pathologists can expec... Read more
Prepare for Possible CLIA Update
See RFI response in MPFS final rule. Having received stakeholder comments to a request fo... Read more
Reader Question:
Refresh Drug Test Coding Skills
Question: Our lab performs a broad drug class screening test using liquid chromatogra... Read more
Reader Question:
Untangle IHC Stain Conundrum
Question: The pathologist evaluated slides from two blocks of a breast biopsy specime... Read more
Reader Question:
Distinguish HIPAA Terms
Question: Could you please explain the difference between “consent” and “author... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Avoid This Breast Cytology Coding Trap
Question: The pathologist performed a puncture aspiration of a cyst in the patient's ... Read more
Path/Lab Coding:
Focus Panel Test Coding for UTI Scenario
Question: During a second course of antibiotics for a urinary tract infection (UTI), the c... Read more
Path/Lab Coding:
Avoid Breast FNA Coding Pitfalls
Question: The pathologist extracted fluid during two fine needle aspiration (FNA) passes f... Read more
Path/Lab Coding:
Get The Answers to Your Frequently Asked PSA Test Questions
Understand medical necessity to arrive at the correct test code. Your lab probably gets f... Read more
Path/Lab Coding:
Look for Coverage Guidance in NCDs, LCDs
Question: How can I find information about Medicare coverage for lab and pathology procedu... Read more
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