25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Test, Can Any Doctor Perform This? - Dr. Holick (VIDEO)

Dr. Holick:
Any doctor can get this test performed for you, but they have to use the right coding. Otherwise they won’t get reimbursed, and you wind up having to pay for the test. So for example, vitamin D deficiency, if you tell your doctor it’s 268.9, that’s the code for vitamin D deficiency, or if they have a code for osteoporosis or for other related diseases for vitamin D, they could use that, but 268.9 is for vitamin D deficiency.

And if a person is coming in complaining of aches and pains in their bones and muscles, it would be appropriate to be using that as a potential diagnosis for vitamin D deficiency.

About Dr. Holick, Ph.D., M.D.:
Michael Holick, Ph.D., M.D., is the Professor of Medicine of Physiology and Biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and performed his residency and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Holick specializes in vitamin D, calcium, bone metabolism, photobiology of vitamin, and osteoporosis. Dr. Holick is also the recipient of the American Skin Associations Psoriasis Research Achievement Award, the American College of Nutrition Award, the Robert H. Herman Memorial Award in Clinical Nutrition from the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, and more.

Visit Dr. Holick at his website

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Tags:

• Osteoporosis
• Diet & Nutrition