When should a laboratory report code 89050 versus 89051 for fluid cell counts?
Most laboratories use one of these codes but not both. Yet the average lab would need both codes on the chargemaster for accurate billing. Not all fluids require differentials, so 89050 must be available for the clear CSF that has 0 cells. Code 89051 is necessary for cloudy CSFs, the joint fluids, and all the other body fluids that might be sent for analysis.
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