Hi -

Wondering if anyone can help us figure out how to charge for bone marrow
biopsies.

Here's the problem:

1. The MTs go on the biopsies, so they do the fixation and decalcification.

So we're not certain that Histology can charge for the decalcification,
since we are not doing it. But it looks like Hematology isn't charging for
it
either.

Can Histology charge for decalcification, if it's being done in another
department? As long as one charge is applied to the patient's
biopsy?

2. The other problem is that we histotechs do the sectioning, staining of
H&E and iron, and on occasion, other special stains such as a retic or
an esterase.

The bone marrow slides then go back to hematology, to be read by
the hematopathologist. We're such a large institution, that the clinical
pathology department is in a separate building at the south end of
the hospital (3 floors), while anatomic pathology is in the basement
in the north end. The clin path doctor ONLY do clin path stuff, and
the anat path doctors ONLY do anat path stuff.

So we histotechs never see the bone marrow reports, and do not
know if the doctors are dictating H&E section, decal, or any of
the special stains. (And we can't charge if they don't dictate/print it.)

So, can we (anat path) do the charging on a patient's biopsy because
we did the sectioning and staining? Or should clin path be doing the
charging, as it is their pathologists who are doing the interpretation
of the slides/stains.

Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073