Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: One of our physicians wants to order urinalysis as a routine part of a well woman check. We know this wouldn't be a covered "screening" for Medicare patients, but what about other payers?

Minnesota Subscriber

Answer: Yes, you can submit claims for urinalysis in conjunction with a preventive physical exam; include diagnosis V70.0 (Routine general medical examination at a health care facility) unless the urinalysis was intended for a more particular screening, such as screening for diabetes mellitus (V77.1) or nephropathy (V81.5). Check your payers' policies for specific guidelines regarding the tests. For example, some payers might require that you sent the sample to a specific network lab.