What’s the Correct Diagnosis Code for a Urine Drug Test?
Posted on 20. Oct, 2009 by Editor in Coding Challenge
Question: What is the proper ICD-9 code when the lab performs a urine drug test?
Answer: ICD-9 does not provide one specific code for a urine drug test. The correct diagnosis code to report when billing for the lab test depends on the signs, symptoms, patient condition, or other reason for the test, such as screening. The ordering physician will assign a narrative diagnosis or ICD-9 code when requesting a urine drug test from the lab.
For example: A high school student previously diagnosed as marijuana dependent is doing poorly in school. Suspecting marijuana use again, the physician orders a urine drug screen. In this case, the most appropriate code is 304.30 (Cannabis dependence, unspecified).
In another case: A physician might order a general screening urine drug test such as 80100 (Drug screen, qualitative; multiple drug classes chromatographic method, each procedure) for an elderly patient prior to admission to a nursing home. Because the patient has no known history of drug abuse and shows no signs or symptoms of drug dependence or withdrawal, you should list V70.3 (Other medical examination for administrative purposes) and V72.62 (Laboratory examination ordered as part of a routine general medical examination) as the reasons for the test.
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emiller
21. Oct, 2009
The use of an instant drug test kit requires the extension QW on the test code for either the 80100 (multi-drug test panel) or 80101 single drug test panel.
Also, wondering if it’s unethical to bill out the individual analytes on the multi-strip instant drug test cup as single tests rather than a test panel?
bmendell
17. Mar, 2010
I am wondering if it is ethical to bill 80100 twice using modifier 59 on the second. I thought this code was for multiple drug classes, therefore if you are looking for two drug classes what is the purpose of billing the same code twice! Someone here has it in their mind this is appropriate billing.