Coding references
Pathology and laboratory: the codes and the rules.
Three tables for a laboratory practice, each one a coder can check against the 2025 CMS and ICD-10-CM files, and the notes that come up every week.
The tables.
The notes a coder repeats.
- CLFS codes are paid from the Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule and carry no physician work RVU; the anatomic pathology codes (88xxx) do.
- Surgical pathology level is set by the specimen type listed under each code, not by the difficulty of the case.
- Immunohistochemistry is reported per specimen per antibody since 2015; the same antibody on two blocks of one specimen is one unit.
Other specialties.
A receptionist that knows laboratory calls.
Screening forms your clinicians approve, the on-call paged with answers, and every call booked or handed back as a task.