To bill for placing the purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test,use CPT® code 86580.  Use this code when the nurse or medical assistant places the test on the patient's skin.  The CPT® definition of the code is: Skin test, tuberculosis, intradermal.

The code has a technical component only, and in 2009, .20 total RVUs. It has a status indicator under physician supervision of 09: concept does not apply.

When the patient returns to have the nurse read the test, to see if it is positive or negative, CPT® tells us to bill a 99211.  Remember that for Medicare, nurse visits must meet the criteria of incident to billing, so a physician or NPP must be in the office to bill Medicare for that service. 

The most common ICD-9 code used when submitting 86580 is V74.1, Special screening examination for bacterial and spirochetal diseases, pulmonary tuberculosis.