Why is it important to distinguish between codes 81025 and 84703 when coding pregnancy tests?
There are some distinct nuances to understand when reporting these codes. One of the most common mistakes involves serum and urine pregnancy testing. The urine pregnancy test, 81025, is confused with the serum qualitative test for chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), 84703. Even though the tests use the same cartridge and the only difference is how many drops of urine or serum are used, these codes are specimen-specific. (The 84703 test pays more, too.) Exercise caution here.
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