Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: When our physician office lab does a urinalysis, we use a kit that requires a few steps and tablet reagents to identify chemicals in the urine, and also the urine pH. When we report 81002 for the urinalysis and 83986 for the pH, we get denials. What is the possible reason we can’t get paid for this common combination of tests?

Codify Subscriber

Answer: The urinalysis tests describe analysis for “any number of constituents,” including pH. That means you shouldn’t code the tests separately, but should include the pH in the urinalysis charge.

Do this: Based on your description, it appears that the best code for your test is 81002 (Urinalysis, by dip stick or tablet reagent for bilirubin, glucose, hemoglobin, ketones, leukocytes, nitrite, pH, protein, specific gravity, urobilinogen, any number of these constituents; non-automated, without microscopy).

You should not additionally report a pH code, such as 83986 (pH; body fluid, not otherwise specified) for the pH determination that is part of the urinalysis by tablet reagents.