The patient presented to the physician’s office for a comprehensive metabolic panel, but the physician was unable to obtain a sample of the patient’s total calcium. What is the correct code for this laboratory service?
Explanation
Answer: C - The correct codes for this laboratory service are: 82040, 82247, 82374, 82435, 82565, 82947, 84075, 84132, 84155, 84295, 84460, 84450 and 84520. These are all of the chemistry tests included as part of a comprehensive metabolic panel, minus the total calcium test. If the physician was able to get a sample of the calcium, the service would be reportable with the full panel code 80053, but because the calcium was not taken, each test must be reported individually.
