- Primary CareSome tests, such as HPV, Chlamydia, and GC, require specific referrals from HMO Primary Care Physicians (PCP). All pathology and cytology services for HMO patients should be scrutinized to determine if specific PCP referral is required. Please check with HMOs to insure that proper steps are taken to insure authorization of tests ordered. WPM Pathology Laboratory will double check to make sure that referrals are included with test requests for HMO patients, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the ordering physician to secure a proper referral from the PCP.
- Emergency CareWhen you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.
- UrologyOutside consultations are initiated by pathologists to assist in a diagnosis or to confirm a diagnosis on difficult or unusual surgical pathology cases. WPM uses pathology experts specializing in a specific area, such as urology or dermatology.
- Kidney StonesFor proper management of patients with recurrent stone formation, it is essential to have an accurate analysis of all crystal material present to guide therapy.
- Cervical CancerThe Pap smear is one of the most successful laboratory test developed in the last fifty years. The noninvasive nature, the simplicity of the smear plus low cost is the key to its success. Annual Pap smears have reduced the chances of developing invasive cervical carcinoma by 95% and have reduced the cervical cancer mortality rate by 70 % since it was introduced in the United States in the 1940’s. Cervical cancer went from a leading cause of death in women in the United States to thirteenth. Worldwide, cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer in women and is first in many developing countries. Even though squamous cell carcinoma was the targeted disease, other cervical malignancies, precursors to cervical carcinoma and certain sexually transmitted diseases can be identified. 1 Cervical Cytology practice Guidelines, American Society of Cytopathology, Nov. 10, 2000. Web page: www.cytopathology.org/guidelines/guide_cervical_cytology.php
- EndoscopyPatients should not have taken antibiotics or bismuth salts for at least 3 weeks prior to endoscopy. Suppression of H. pylori by these agents makes the organism difficult to detect by any means, and re-growth of H. pylori patchy, leading to false negative results in the first few weeks after treatment.
- RadiologyWhen you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.
- X-Rays
- Hysterectomy
- Dermatology
- UlcerHelicobacter pylori has been shown to cause active chronic gastritis and has been implicated as a primary etiologic factor in duodenal ulcer disease, gastric ulcer and non-ulcer dyspepsia. By causing chronic inflammation, H. pylori may weaken the mucosal defenses and allow acid and pepsin to disrupt the epithelium.
- LesionsHPV is a common sexually transmitted disease throughout the world. In the United States it is the most common STD, affecting more than 20 million individuals. About 400,000 new cases are diagnoses annually. HPV is widely accepted as the primary agent involved in the development of squamous intraepithelieal lesions and cervical carcinoma. According to the ALTS report, approximately 87% of all LGSIL lesions are positive for HPV.