AMA CPT® Assistant - 1999 Issue 10 (October)
Handling and/or Conveyance of Specimen for Transfer from the Physician's Office to a Laboratory (October 1999)
October 1999 page 11-end Coding Clarification Handling and/or Conveyance of Specimen for Transfer from the Physician's Office to a Laboratory In the Coding Consultation section of the February 1999 CPT Assistant, we addressed the use of code 99000 ; stating that it should be reported when the physician incurs costs for the handling and/or transportation of a specimen to the laboratory (eg, via messenger service). While this is certainly a correct statement, many of our readers pointed out a second use of this code that is also correct, and reflects the most typical use. Code 99000 is also intended to...
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Article Overview
This article clarifies a specimen-handling topic discussed in CPT Assistant and explains the general circumstances under which office-based specimen preparation and transfer work may be addressed. It is relevant to coders, billers, and physician office staff who need to understand how laboratory specimen logistics are discussed in CPT guidance.
Why This Topic Matters
Specimen collection and transport workflows are common in office practice, and this clarification helps readers recognize when the article’s topic applies to routine laboratory-related processing in the physician office setting.
Article Sections
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Coding Clarification
Introduces the specimen handling topic and frames the clarification addressed by the article.
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Example
Presents a brief office-based specimen workflow example used to illustrate the clarification.
What You Will Learn
- The general focus of the CPT Assistant clarification on specimen handling and conveyance
- How office-based specimen preparation is discussed in relation to laboratory transfer
- The type of practice setting and workflow context addressed by the article
- Why specimen logistics can matter in coding and billing review
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Medical billers
- Physician office staff
- Coding educators
- Revenue cycle professionals
Codes Discussed
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