Billing for transfusion reactions

[BANKTECH]

Hi Everyone!!! Wondering if anyone out there is billing for transfusion reactions? If yes, do you bill for testing or just pathologist interpretation? Does all transfusion reaction workup testing get entered into LIS? How does doctor get final results? Thanks in advance!!

[tbostock]

Yes, we bill for transfusion reactions. We just bill for the components of the tests that we do in the Blood Bank(ABO Rh, DAT, etc). The whole workup is resulted in our LIS (SoftBank). When it's complete, it prints an Interim Report which we give to the Pathologist. He/she then goes in and puts their interpretation in SoftBank and prints the final report. One copy stays with me in the Blood Bank, one goes to the floor (into the patient's paper chart), and one goes to the pathologist's secretary who puts in a charge manually for the pathologist interpretation.

The pathologist's interpretation that he/she enters into SoftBank goes over to our HIS (Epic) where the physician can see it.

Edited August 15, 2013 by tbostock

[carolyn swickard]

We still do our Transfusion Reactions all on paper (due to the fact we got a little too fancy with our computer attempt in Meditech and could never get it to work!) and I do a single, flat manual charge for the procedure at the end when the pathologists are done.  The paper work is then sent back to the chart (I keep a copy) and we scan the papers into the new EMR.

 

If someone could share the CPT code (or whatever code) for the pathologist part, I would appreciate that.  I'm sure my pathologists could use the charges.  Thanks. 

[tbostock]

CPT code 86078 Blood Bank physician services; investigation of transfusion reaction including suspicion of transmissible disease, interpretation and written report

[carolyn swickard]

Thanks, Terri - our charge master is due for an overview anyway - I can add that in now.

[ChrisH]

The 86078 is what the physician can charge,  but can you know recharge for the ABO, ABS, DAT, microbiology etc done? 

 

 

CPT code 86078 Blood Bank physician services; investigation of transfusion reaction including suspicion of transmissible disease, interpretation and written report

[tbostock]

 

The 86078 is what the physician can charge,  but can you know recharge for the ABO, ABS, DAT, microbiology etc done?

 

Yes, you are allowed to also charge for the individual tests that you perform as part of your workup.

[bmarotto]

We charge for whatever testing is performed plus the BB physician interpretation charge, 86078.

[Dr. Pepper]

We also use Meditech and I set it up as a profile TRANSFUSION RXN INVESTIGATION. Profile members are ABO/Rh, DAT, unit #, amount returned, clerical check, pre and post rxn appearance, and pathologist interpretation. Service codes and CPTs are attached to the appropriate member tests. We do the investigation and hand it off to the pathologist who results the interpretation. We have a separate blood culture test for transfusion reactions. Everything's linked to the EMR. Easy enough to set up in Meditech, evrything you can bill for gets billed, works for us.

[JoyG]

We bill for everything.  The physician's interpretation and any work that was performed i.e. repeat ABO, repeat RH, DAT (3 if positive)