In simple words: This is a screening test for cervical or vaginal cancer. Cells are collected, preserved, and prepared on a slide using an automated method.A lab technician then examines the slide under a microscope to look for abnormal cells.If anything unusual is found, the technician double-checks the slide to confirm the findings.A doctor supervises this entire process.

This code covers screening of cytopathological smears of the cervix or vagina collected in a preservative fluid and prepared with the automated thin layer preparation method, when accompanied by manual screening and rescreening by a cytotechnologist working under the supervision of a physician provider.

Example 1: A 30-year-old female patient presents for her annual well-woman exam, which includes a pap smear. The sample is collected in a preservative fluid, prepared using automated thin layer preparation, and screened and rescreened manually by a cytotechnologist under physician supervision. The code G0143 is used for billing., A 45-year-old female patient with a history of abnormal pap smears undergoes a routine follow-up screening.The sample is collected, preserved, prepared via automated thin layer method, and manually screened and rescreened. G0143 is billed., A 60-year-old female patient who has completed menopause continues routine cervical cancer screening.The sample collected during her exam is prepared using the thin prep method and screened as described above. G0143 is the appropriate code.

Documentation should include the patient's medical history, reason for the screening, details of the collection process, the method of preparation (automated thin layer), confirmation that both manual screening and rescreening were performed by a cytotechnologist, and the results of the screening, including any abnormal findings.The physician's supervision should also be documented.