Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Bone sampling and interpretation offer all the proof you need that sending the right code to a payer isn't as simple as checking the CPT manual. You have to know when to turn to HCPCS and Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits, too.

Pathologists may procure and evaluate different bone specimens for a variety of reasons, according to R.M. Stainton Jr., MD, president of Doctor's Anatomic Pathology in Jonesboro, Ark. But that doesn't mean you can report all of the codes all of the time.

Here's a quick rundown of what the CCI Policy Manual, chapter 10, section F, has to say about reporting bone specimen sampling and evaluation.