Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: When we perform a combined test for definitive identification and MIC drug sensitivity on a single card using an automated microbiology system, can we bill for both the identification and the MIC?


Ohio Subscriber

Answer: CPT microbiology codes represent various steps that you might perform for a given culture:

- culture and presumptive identification (first step for most cultures)
- definitive identification
- culture typing
- susceptibility studies.

You should report separately any of these steps that you complete. In the example you give, you may be using an analyzer such as the Vitek 2, which can combine the definitive identification and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) steps on a single plate. Even if you perform this combined analysis, you should still separately report each step.

The correct codes are:

- 87077--Culture, bacterial; aerobic isolate, additional methods required for definitive identification, each isolate

- 87186--Susceptibility studies, antimicrobial agent; microdilution or agar dilution (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] or breakpoint), each multi-antimicrobial, per plate.