So, for example, let's say a patient sees their OBGYN for an annual exam and while the provider is doing the pap, he/she notices an abscess or lump or abnormal growth or something and decides to take a quick biopsy to send it off to be tested. The provider then documents an unspecified diagnosis for this, besides the codes for the exam, for the encounter. Are you saying it's acceptable to go back and remove the OBGYN's unspecified DX and instead use a code taken from a path report that was made after the encounter? I don't see how that would be an appropriate thing to do. Can you provide some links that discuss changing a diagnosis after an encounter to match findings that were made afterwards?
Obviously the situation would be different if you're billing the pathology charges, but I don't interpret the question posted as referring to the coding for the pathology service.