blue cross and place of service code for pathologist report when patient was in the hospital

by Tia Lemke 8 min read

Professional Pathology Billing Guidelines - Blue Cross NC

31 hours ago Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) is prohibiting the practice of “pass- ... Hospital place of service (POS 19, 22) regardless of the location (hospital vs. pathology practice) of the technical and/or professional component. ... 88199 and Pathology Consultation codes 80500-80502 added to >> Go To The Portal


If the patient was an inpatient when the specimen was removed then we billed with place of service 21. If the patient was an outpatient at the hospital we are associated with then we bill with the 22 outpatient. We do have some cases where specimens are removed in a clinic out patient office and in those cases we use the 11 place of service.

Full Answer

Should pathologists be charged separate billing for clinical laboratory services?

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) and other physician advocacy groups defend separate billing for the professional component of clinical laboratory services. CAP’s Professional Relations Manual states: “Professional component billing is one valid method of billing for the professional services of pathologists in the clinical laboratory.

What is the CPT code for pathology lab billing?

Recently the pathology lab has been billing on a 1500 form CPT 84165 with a 26 modifier and 86334 with a 26 modifier under place of service 11 due to the patient was drawn at a physicians office. Medicare is denying.

What is the place of service code for a hospital?

Place of service code for medical office visit is reported with the place of service 11 in Medical billing. On Campus-Outpatient Hospital is reported with the place of service 22 in Medical billing. Place of service code for an Off Campus-Outpatient Hospital is reported with the place of service 19 in Medical billing.

Can a pathologist report professional services in a clinical laboratory?

The basic question of whether a pathologist may report professional services in a clinical laboratory, however, goes to the heart of an ongoing coding controversy. The College of American Pathologists (CAP) and other physician advocacy groups defend separate billing for the professional component of clinical laboratory services.

What is place of service code 19?

Off Campus-Outpatient HospitalDatabase (updated September 2021)Place of Service Code(s)Place of Service Name19Off Campus-Outpatient Hospital20Urgent Care Facility21Inpatient Hospital22On Campus-Outpatient Hospital54 more rows

What is place of service code 23?

Emergency Room – Hospital23 Emergency Room – Hospital A portion of a hospital where emergency diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury is provided.

What is place of service code 49?

independent clinicPlace Of Service 49 POS 49 can be used when the place of service is an independent clinic. The clinic is not part of hospital and is not described by any other place of service code.

What does place of service code 11 mean?

officePhysicians shall use POS code 11 (office) when services are performed in a separately maintained physician office space in the hospital or on the hospital campus and that physician office space is not considered a provider-based department of the hospital.

What is place of service code 41?

Place of Service Description 41 Ambulance – Land A land vehicle specifically designed, equipped and staffed for lifesaving and transporting the sick or injured.

What is the difference between POS 19 and 22?

Beginning January 1, 2016, POS code 22 was redefined as “On-Campus Outpatient Hospital” and a new POS code 19 was developed and defined as “Off-Campus Outpatient Hospital.” Effective January 1, 2016, POS 19 must be used on professional claims submitted for services furnished to patients registered as hospital ...

What is the difference between POS 31 and 32?

POS 32. Use POS 31 when the patient is in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), which is a short-term care/rehabilitation facility. Use POS 32 when the patient is in a long-term nursing care facility.

Is place of service 24 facility or non facility?

By definition, a “facility” place-of-service is thought of as a hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF) or even an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) (POS codes 21, POS 31 and POS 24, respectively), while “non-facility” is most often associated with the physician's office (POS code 11).

What is the difference between POS 22 and 11?

I think it would be POS 11 even if it is owned by the hospital it is offsite and in an office. 22 POS to me is when a service is performed in the hospital and the patient is never admitted.

What is the difference between POS 02 and 10?

POS 02 has been changed to reflect patients who receive telehealth in locations other than their home, and POS 10 has been added to reflect patients who receive telehealth in their home.

What does modifier 95 stand for?

synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-Per the AMA, modifier 95 means: “synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-time interactive audio and video telecommunications system.” Modifier 95 is only for codes that are listed in Appendix P of the CPT manual.

What does POS 02 represent?

POS 02: Telehealth Provided Other Than in Patient's Home – The location where health services and health related services are provided or received, through telecommunication technology. Patient is not located in their home when receiving health services or health related services through telecommunication technology.

What is a place of service code?

This Place of Service codes is a 2 digit numeric codes which is used on the HCFA 1500 claim form while billing the medical claims to the health care insurance companies , denoting the place where the healthcare services was performed from the provider to the patient.

What is a 50 place of service?

Place of service 50 – Federally Qualified Health Center Description: Place of service 50 is used when a facility placed in a medically underserved space that delivers Medicare recipients precautionary primary medical services under the broad direction of a practitioner.

What is POS 49?

Place of service 49 is indicated when a location, not part of a hospital and not described by any other Place of Service code, that is organized and operated to deliver precautionary, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, or palliative facilities to outpatients only . Place of Service 49 is also known as POS 49.

What are the responsibilities of a pathologist?

The AMA reasoned that Ingenix had interpreted the intent of modifier 26—and the definition of “professional services”—too narrowly. The AMA lists a pathologist’s responsibilities as medical director of hospital clinical laboratories, to include: 1 Assuring that tests, examinations, and procedures are properly performed, recorded, and reported; 2 Recommending appropriate follow-up diagnostic tests, when appropriate; 3 Supervising laboratory technicians and advising technicians regarding aberrant results; 4 Evaluating clinical laboratory data and establishing a process for review of test results prior to issuance of patient reports.

What is the role of a pathologist in the AMA?

The AMA lists a pathologist’s responsibilities as medical director of hospital clinical laboratories, to include: Assuring that tests, examinations, and procedures are properly performed, recorded, and reported; Recommending appropriate follow-up diagnostic tests, when appropriate;

What is a professional component billing?

CAP’s Professional Relations Manual states: “Professional component billing is one valid method of billing for the professional services of pathologists in the clinical laboratory.

What modifier is required for 80048-89356?

The article insists modifier 26 is required for codes 80048-89356 “in those instances when the physician is only billing for the professional component of the laboratory tests (eg, medical direction, supervision or interpretation).”.

What is modifier 26?

In using Modifier 26 for pathology and laboratory codes 80049-87999, a written report for an individual patient is not a requirement for having performed a professional component service since it can be reported for medical direction of the tests performed.”.

Do non-Medicare payers take pathologists into account when making hospital payments for laboratory services?

In other words, CAP reasons that non-Medicare payers do not take the pathologist’s services into account when making hospital payments for laboratory services, and the pathologist may seek separate professional component payment directly from the patient or the patient’s insurer.

Do pathologists bill patients?

In many communities, the standard practice is for the pathologist to directly bill patients for the professional component of clinical laboratory services. When the pathologist bills a professional component to a non-Medicare patient, no payment is made by the hospital to the pathologist for this service. The hospital’s bill for the technical ...