Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: Our lab performs some infectious agent antigen detection tests that involve more than one organism. For example, we perform a combined antigen test for Trichomonas, Candida and Gardnerella that uses direct probe technique. Can we report three codes for this service, one for a direct probe test for each organism?

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Answer: No, you should not report three test codes if the lab only performs one test. You are correct that CPT provides individual codes for the organisms and methods you mentioned: 87480 (Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid [DNA or RNA]; Candida species, direct probe technique), 87510 (... Gardnerella vaginalis, direct probe technique), and 87660 (... Trichomonas vaginalis, direct probe technique). But since your lab only performs one test that involves multiple probes for multiple organisms, you should report one code for the service: 87800 (Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid [DNA or RNA], multiple organisms; direct probe[s] technique).

This principle applies to other infectious agent antigen detection techniques. CPT provides codes for multiple-organism tests by most lab methods. If your lab performs other multiple-organism identification tests using other methods, you should use one of the following multiple-organism codes, depending on the method: