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Chemistry Panels

In 1998 at HCFA’s urging, the American Medical Association’s CPT editorial board abolished the automated chemistry profile codes 80002-80019 and replaced them with four smaller disease/organ panels containing tests on Medicare’s national roster of automated procedures. HCFA has steadily tightened requirements for panels, in particular stipulating that for a panel to be reimbursed, all of its component tests must be medically justified. Not surprisingly, the CPT 2000 manual once again contained significant changes to the organ/disease panels that laboratories had to implement on April 1, 2000.

ChemistryTests

Comprehensive Metabolic

Renal Function

Basic Metabolic

ElectrolytePanel

Hepatic Function

Sodium

X

X*

X

X

 

Potassium

X

X*

X

X

 

Chloride

X

X*

X

X

 

CO2

X

X*

X

X

 

Anion Gap

X*

X*

X

X

 

BUN

X

X*

X

 

 

Creatinine

X

X*

X

 

 

Glucose

X

X*

X

 

 

Calcium

X

X*

X*

 

 

Phosphate

 

X*

 

 

 

Albumin

X

X*

 

 

X

Total Protein

X

 

 

 

X*

ALP

X

 

 

 

X

AST

X

 

 

 

X

ALT

X*

 

 

 

X

D. Bilirubin

 

 

 

 

X

T. Bilirubin

X

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

# Tests

14

10

8

4

7

2000 CPT

80053

80069

80048

80051

80076

1999 CPT

80054

80049,82310,82040, 84100

80049

80051

80058

* New tests added April 2000

If a physician decides that other automated tests, which are not included in one of these panels, are medically necessary for a patient, the additional tests should be ordered individually.If two panels are ordered that contain overlapping tests, duplicate tests must be eliminated prior to billing. All claims for physician office lab testing must contain an ICD-9 diagnosis code as medical justification for the tests. Patient records and chart notes should include supporting documentation.

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