Question:
What coding and billing considerations should laboratories keep in mind when reporting point-of-care testing (POCT) blood gas analyses?
Answer:
In response to the demand for rapid turnaround times, point-of-care testing (POCT) is commonplace in today’s healthcare workflow. The POCT instrumentation available provides options for expanded “custom” profiles that include blood gases as well as chemistry and hematology analytes. Caution should be taken to avoid duplication of analytes resulted by POCT and clinical laboratory reporting. Note that some payers are pushing back on the reporting of separate labs, such as ionized calcium or glucose, when using POCT for blood gas analysis. Be sure to consult payer guidance and contract language for more information.
