Laboratory Question for the Week of October 30, 2023

Question:

We are having confusion over reporting codes 88331 and 88332. Can you please clarify the differences in definitions between “block” and “section”?

Answer:

Understanding the definitions is key to code selection.

• A block is a portion of tissue taken from a specimen and frozen or encased in a support medium such as paraffin or plastic. It is the source from which sections are prepared.
• A section is a thin slice of tissue taken from a block and prepared for microscopic examination.

If the physician examines a single frozen section from a specimen, report 88331. If the physician examines frozen sections from more than one block taken from the same specimen, the appropriate coding is one unit of service of code 88331 for the first block and an additional unit of service of code +88332 for each additional block. If more than one specimen is submitted for consultation, code the services for each specimen as appropriate.

This question was answered in our Coding Essentials for Laboratories. For more hot topics relating to laboratory services, please visit our store or call us at 1.800.252.1578, ext. 2.