Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: When do I use 78596 for complete PFT?

Washington Subscriber

Answer: Code 78596 (Pulmonary quantitative differential function [ventilation/perfusion] study) is not a pulmonary function code. You report 78596 when your radiologist performs a nuclear medicine radiologic evaluation for patients, e.g., prior to major lung resection or pneumonectomy, or before consideration of lung transplantation, to assess the relative ventilation and perfusion of each lung.

You should bill 78596 separately from the usual PFT (pulmonary function testing) as it is a nuclear medicine test.