Hello All,
All gross only specimens (e.g. hardware, other prostheses or calculi) are
not done by our PA's.  These are done only by the pathologists (for the
reasons stated by Charles below.
Greg Luck, BS, HT(ASCP)
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
Deaconess Medical Center
800 W. 5th Ave
Spokane, WA 99204
Phone 509.473.7077
Fax 509.473.7133
luckg@empirehealth.org
www.deaconessmedicalcenter.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Charles.Embrey [mailto:Charles.Embrey@carle.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 9:52 AM
To: Maray Weirauch
Cc: Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Grossing questions

This is something that has been hotly debated on the PA webserver lately.
By law and Medicare billing requirements, a diagnosis, even a gross-only
diagnosis must be rendered by a Pathologist.  In many practices, the PA will
do the gross exam and then the Pathologist will also physically examine the
specimen prior to signing it out.  In Medicare's eyes, charging for a gross
examination (88400) that the pathologist doesn't actually do, is fraud.  

Cytotechs are qualified for high complexity testing and render a screening
diagnosis. The prep work itself is something a really don't get involved
with and maybe someone else out in histoland has more information on the
subject.

Charles Embrey, PA(ASCP)  

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Maray
Weirauch
Sent: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 11:03 AM
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Grossing questions

I know that CLIA considers grossing to be high complexity testing and does
not distinguish between types of specimens.  How do you regard the
requirements for documenting hardware (grossing hardware) that is sent to
pathology or for techs involved in Cytology prepping that includes recording
the specimen description?  Both of these items do end up in a final report.


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