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From: Robert Swotinsky MD
Date: 16 Nov 2004
Time: 02:48:32 -0800
Remote Name: 68.166.236.185
CPT (current procedural technology) descriptors and codes serve various functions for medical nomenclature, including use in billing and claims processing. While workplace substance abuse testing is not considered a medical procedure, many health care providers and payers use CPT for billing and claims processing here, too. Where I work, the following CPT codes are among those used for drug and alcohol testing services:
> Collection (e.g., urine or hair): CPT code 99000, "Handling and/or conveyance of specimen for transfer from the physician's office to a laboratory"
> Collection, laboratory analysis, and MRO: CPT code 99001, "Handling and/or conveyance of specimen for transfer from the patient in other than a physician's office to a laboratory"
The CPT descriptors do not precisely match the corresponding services. Fortunately, our billing system prints the service description -- eg., drug test specimen collection -- and not the CPT descriptor. If the CPT descriptors were to appear on the bills, our invoices would be more confusing.
Unlike medical treatment, workplace drug testing services are not covered under state or federal reimbursement schedules, and thus use of CPT codes does not constrain the provider to fees from those schedules.