Compliance Question of the Week – Laboratory

How would we code for a case when aspiration is performed with or without the preparation of smears on a superficial tissue, without radiologic guidance?

A pathology lab is performing an immunofluorescent study on a skin biopsy to evaluate immunoglobulin deposits. They’re using fluorescent-tagged antibodies for IgG, IgM, and C3, with examination under fluorescent microscopy. I understand that 88346 would be reported for the initial study, but if they also perform an additional antibody stain for fibrinogen, how would this be reported?

When is 81528 covered by Medicare part B?

When both qualitative and quantitative antibody tests are performed on the same specimen, should both tests be billed separately, or is only one reportable?

What are the key compliance requirements and challenges associated with standing orders for laboratory services under Medicare regulations?

What are the key compliance requirements and challenges associated with standing orders for laboratory services under Medicare regulations?

What are the key changes introduced in the 2025 ICD-10-CM code update regarding specificity and claim processing?

When performing flow cytometry for cell enumeration, should CPT® codes 88184 or 88185 ever be reported separately, or are these inherently bundled? Additionally, if a pathologist provides a distinct interpretation of the flow cytometry results, is there any scenario where CPT codes 88187-88189 could be reported separately, or is the interpretation always included in the procedure?

A laboratory is implementing a new HPV assay that uses in vitro PCR technology to simultaneously test both high-risk pooled and individual results. As of 2025, which CPT® code should be reported for this service, and which Category III code has been deleted in conjunction with this update?

How does the introduction of new 2025 code 87626 for HPV testing differ from CPT code 87624, and what implications does the deletion of Category III code 0500T in 2025 have on reporting practices?