Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: Can an independent lab bill for specimen handling and transport when it provides the specimen-collection supplies and courier service to retrieve specimens from the physician office?


Iowa Subscriber

Answer: CPT provides a code for transferring specimens from a physician office to a lab: 99000 (Handling and/or conveyance of specimen for transfer from the physician's office to a laboratory).

Although the code definition does not indicate who gets to use this code--the lab or the physician office--the February 1999 CPT Assistant sheds light on the question. The AMA states that a physician office should use the code if it -incurs costs to handle and/or transport a specimen to the laboratory.- But if the lab provides collection supplies and picks up the specimen for free, the physician should not report 99000.

Does that mean the lab can use the code? No, according to CPT Assistant: -It would not be appropriate for a lab to [bill] code 99000. The cost to the lab for the supplies and courier services is included in their overhead costs.-