Advanced Search

ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Reader Question ~ Choose Code Based on Symptoms if Doctor Doesn't Diagnose Depression

Published on Sun Jul 15, 2007

Question: When a patient exhibits signs of depression, but the physician does not diagnose depression, which ICD-9 codes should I use? The physician recently treated a patient whose father just died. She had insomnia and was not eating much, but the physician did not think the patient met the parameters for depressive disorder.

Missouri Subscriber Answer: Without a definitive diagnosis from the doctor, you-ll want the diagnosis coding to reflect the patient's signs and symptoms.

On your claim, report 307.42 (Persistent disorder of initiating or maintaining sleep) to represent the patient's insomnia and 783.0 (Anorexia) to represent the patient's appetite loss. Reader Questions and You Be the Coder reviewed by Michael A. Granovsky, MD, CPC, FACEP, president of MRSI, an ED coding and billing company in Woburn, Mass.
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in your eNewsletter
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs*
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more
*CEUs available with select eNewsletters.

Other Articles in this issue of

ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

View All