Compliance Question of the Week – Laboratory

When physicians submit prescription pad orders for outpatients and write “CBC” with no signs, symptoms, or ICD-10 information, the registration staff will be in a quandary as to which test to select and what to do about medical necessity. Does the doctor want a differential? Should they ask the patient for diagnostic information?

What is the appropriate CPT code for a repeat HPV screening test performed on a woman with a positive result for high-risk HPV types, aimed at monitoring for persistent infection or cell changes?

What key components should be documented in the interpretive document of a cytogenetic study to ensure compliant billing?

Can you explain more about what code 88342 actually represents, and what is its primary purpose in diagnosing neoplasms?

What are the different groups of stains used in pathology examinations, and how are they differentiated in terms of coding in 2024?

What do the category III codes for digital pathology represent in 2023 and are there any new additional codes effective in 2024?

When both an adequacy assessment and a definitive diagnosis are rendered during a cytopathology evaluation, which codes should be reported?

For 2024, which code is associated with assessing the balance of estrogen and progesterone in the vaginal squamous epithelium?

What considerations should healthcare providers keep in mind regarding the medical necessity criteria when deciding whether to separately bill or bundle codes 88740 and 88741 for transcutaneous procedures?

Which code should be used when enhancing cytology specimens to concentrate diagnostic material and remove background debris, using techniques like liquid-based slide preparation or monolayer method?

What are the specific procedural codes associated with leukapheresis or lymphocytapheresis?

How should urinalysis procedures not covered by codes 81000–81050 be reported according to the new CPT parenthetical guidance for 2024?