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Radiology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Write Off PET/CT Glucose Check

Published on Fri Apr 13, 2007

Question: For PET/CT CPT codes 78814-78816, ACR recommends a glucose check prior to the scan. Is there a way to avoid this test's being a CMS write-off due to medical necessity?

Georgia Subscriber Answer: Probably not -- many facilities treat the blood glucose test as part of the price of performing the PET/CT scan.

Arguing that the test is diagnostic -- in the sense of diagnosing or treating an illness -- would be tough, which is why Medicare doesn't cover it.
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