Dermatology Coding Alert
Spot the Right Acne Dx Code in 2015
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ICD-10 will break out an expanded set of codes based on acne type.
Starting Oct. 1, 2015, your dermatologist will be faced with a few more options for coding acne. The ICD-10 codes improve upon ICD-9 by providing more codes based on the specific type of acne.
ICD-9: Currently, the two diagnosis codes for acne are:
A note under 706.0 explains that it includes acne frontalis and acne necrotica, while a note with 706.1 includes acne conglobata, cystic acne, pustular acne, acne vulgaris, and NOS.
These codes do not include acne rosacea, which is covered by 695.3 (Rosacea). A note with that code explains that it includes erythematosa, rosacea, perioral dermatitis and rhinophyma.
ICD-10: The new diagnosis code system provides these codes for acne conditions:
The rosacea codes are similarly expanded to provide codes for these conditions now all covered by 695.3:
In ICD-10, erythema will be described by codes in the L50-L54 (Uticaria and erythema) series.
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