Revenue Integrity

Q: Under the introductory section of the CPT Manual’s Organ or Disease-Oriented Panels section, third paragraph, it is stated, "Do not report two or more panel codes that include any of the same constituent tests performed from the same patient collections." I am seeking clarification as to whether this literally means the same blood specimen collection or if it more generally means the same date of service (DOS) collection. In the hospital setting sometimes constituent tests are performed on the same DOS on an outpatient encounter, so it might lead one to report an applicable panel code. However, sometimes the constituents are not ordered at the same time, and the tests might be run from separate blood specimens drawn at different times, but still on the same DOS. Is there any guidance or reference that could clarify this?

Calling all Revenue Integrity Investigators! Revenue Integrity Week (June 1‒5) is just days away and NAHRI has a lot in store to ensure we all recognize the dedication of revenue integrity professionals while taking some time for education, networking, and most importantly fun.