Pathology/Lab Coding Alert
All Eyes Turn to Medicare Cuts Following Election
Fiscal outlook brings worries. Like everyone else, you're probably watching Washington, D.C. to see how lawmakers resolve the so-called "fiscal cliff" budget problems, which include the two percent across-the-board sequestration cuts set to hit Medicare providers' payment rates in early 2013. Physicians, including pathologists, will be seeking funding from Congress, since they face a newly finalized 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that includes a 26.5 percent cut. "In the absence of Congressional action, an overall reduction of 26.5 percent will be imposed ... on or after January 1, 2013," says the fee schedule published in the Nov. 16 Federal Register. How health care matters get handled in Congress may change, now that a veteran politician with a healthcare focus has been defeated. Eighty-year-old House Ways and Means health Subcommittee chair
Pathology/Lab Coding Alert
- CPT® 2013:
81200-81479: Get Ready for Molecular Pathology Overhaul
Don't miss 'unlisted' molecular code 81479. You had over 100 new molecular codes in 2012 [...] - Diagnosis Coding:
3 Tips Focus Your ICD-9 Code Choice
Avoid ‘unspecified’ codes -- choose test’s ‘reason’ instead. Whether you code for a clinical lab or [...] - Newsbrief:
All Eyes Turn to Medicare Cuts Following Election
Fiscal outlook brings worries. Like everyone else, you're probably watching Washington, D.C. to see how [...] - You Be the Coder:
87621 Leads High Risk HPV
Question: When our lab performs a high risk HPV screening that returns positive, we then [...] - Reader Question:
Check Payer for Multiple Anatomic Pathology Services
Question: I've always billed multiple anatomic pathology services (such as 88300, 88305, 88307) with modifier 59, [...] - Reader Question:
Skip Mohs Codes or Lose TC Pay
Question: Our lab prepares the slides for the surgeon that performs Mohs. Can we charge [...] - Reader Question:
Cut Losses for Lymph Node 'Scrape'
Question: Our pathologist cuts a lymph node, then touches slides to each half, and stains [...] - Molecular Pathology:
Say Goodbye to 83912 -- And Hello to G0452
Solve physician professional pay problem. As CPT® 2013 jettisons 83912 (Molecular diagnostics; interpretation and report), [...] - ICD-10:
V84 to Z15: Don't Expect Big Changes for Genetic Test Results
Follow one-to-one crosswalk. Despite a major CPT® revamping of genetic test codes (see "81200-81479: Get [...]
