Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: Because our office does not have a nurse, the physician always draws blood. Can I bill 36410?

Tennessee Subscriber

Answer: You should typically use 36415 (Collection of venous blood by venipuncture). Simply having a doctor perform venipuncture is not sufficient reason to report 36410 (Venipuncture, age 3 years or older, necessitating physician's skill

[separate procedure], for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes [not to be used for routine venipuncture]). Instead, the scenario must require physician skill.

Since your office has the doctor always perform blood draws for routine venipuncture, use 36415. When your physician documents that the venipuncture requires his skill as a physician, you should use 36410.