AMA CPT® Assistant - 1998 Issue 12 (December)
HCFA Policy Changes (December 1998)
December 1998 page 11 Coding Updates HCFA Policy Changes In the December 1997 issue of the CPT Assistant ( page 3, under the Clinical Consultations subheading ), several HCFA policy changes for 1998 were noted. The following information serves as an update to the previously published material. Effective January 1, 1998, HCFA no longer accepts standing orders as a substitute for an individual request by the attending physician for clinical pathology consultations coded as 80500 and 80502 . Standing orders, including a hospital's standing order policy, continue to be acceptable for the list of 18 clinical laboratory interpretation services that...
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Article Overview
This article summarizes a December 1998 update to earlier HCFA policy guidance discussed in CPT Assistant. It is relevant for coders, compliance staff, pathology practices, and billing teams who need to understand the scope of the update, the Medicare references cited, and the code-related items mentioned in the notice.
Why This Topic Matters
The update helps readers identify which policy source materials and code categories were discussed so they can review the full guidance in context and assess whether their billing processes are affected.
Article Sections
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Coding Updates
Introduces a policy update related to pathology and clinical laboratory interpretation services and notes the effective date of the change.
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HCFA Policy Changes
Presents the main update and cites the related Medicare and Federal Register references for further review.
What You Will Learn
- The general subject of the HCFA policy update discussed in the article
- Which code sets and policy references are mentioned in the update
- What broad billing and compliance areas the notice addresses
- The effective date associated with the policy change
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Compliance professionals
- Pathology practices
- Laboratory billing teams
Codes Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
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