Question:
Does Medicare consider it appropriate for organ and disease-oriented panel procedures to be repeated on a single date of service?
Answer:
With the exception of the following codes, it is not appropriate to repeat the organ and disease-oriented panel procedures on a single date of service. Instead a patient’s change in status should be monitored by repeat testing of only the analytes that are medically necessary due to abnormal result or expected shift due to patient condition or treatment.
80047 |
Basic metabolic panel (calcium, ionized) This panel must include the following: calcium, ionized (82330); carbon dioxide (bicarbonate) (82374); chloride (82435); creatinine (82565); glucose (82947); potassium (84132); sodium (84295); urea nitrogen (BUN) (84520). |
80048 |
Basic metabolic panel (Calcium, total) This panel must include the following: calcium, total (82310); carbon dioxide (bicarbonate) (82374); chloride (82435); creatinine (82565); glucose (82947); potassium (84132); sodium (84295); urea nitrogen (BUN) (84520). |
80051 |
Electrolyte panel This panel must include the following: carbon dioxide (bicarbonate) (82374), chloride (82435), potassium (84132), and sodium (84295). |
This question was answered in the 2018 edition of our Coding Essentials for Laboratories. For more hot topics relating to laboratory services, please view our store, or call us at 1.800.252.1578 ext. 2.