[Histonet] Breast billing question

[Terri Braud]

We bill the lumpectomy specimen (as long as it contains tumor) as an 88307.  Additional margins submitted in separate containers are billed each as 88305, breast biopsy.  If none of the specimens contain cancer (ie. DCIS) then reporting the margins becomes a moot point and the lumpectomy code is reduced to an 88305 also.
This billing was reviewed and approved by an outside billing company and has been accepted by medicare and other insurances.  That's all I have to go on.  I hope this helps.

Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP)
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
Holy Redeemer Hospital Laboratory
1648 Huntingdon Pike
Meadowbrook, PA 19046
Ph: 215-938-3676
Fax: 215-938-3874

From: "Eck, Allison" <aeck at dh.org>
I am looking for advice on a current billing problem.
Breast specimens: We recieve the lumpectomy with orienting sutures - 88307 along with that are the accompanying margins (inferior, superior, medial, etc).  Our breast surgeon has been placing orienting sutures on all of her margins.  We had previously been billing under the assumption that the unsutured margins were 88305, but now with the sutures should we be billing an 88307 or still 88305 since they are margins?
Thank you in advance for your help
Allison
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