Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: A neurosurgeon removed the implanted pain pump and catheter. He found some fluid within cavity when he opened the abdominal wound and sent the fluid for culture. Should our neurosurgeon bill for wound culture 87070?

Georgia Subscriber

Answer: While the correct code for this culture may be 87070 (Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolate), the lab that performs the culture should bill for the service. The neurosurgeon should not bill for work he does not perform.

If the lab performs additional methods for definitive identification, the lab would also bill for services such as 81076 (Culture, bacterial; anaerobic isolate, additional methods required for definitive identification, each isolate).