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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Risk Denials Without 5th Digit on Migraine Dx

Published on Mon Apr 20, 2009

Question: I am still trying to wrap my head around the new migraine ICD-9 codes. Could you explain to me what ICD-9 means by -aura-? Also, what exactly is -status migrainosus-? Florida Subscriber Answer: Some of the new migraine codes specify whether or not the patient experienced an aura pre-migraine. These include, but are not limited to, 346.0x (Migraine with aura) and 346.1x (Migraine without aura). -Aura- definition: An aura is a group of symptoms that the patient may experience prior to the onset of a migraine. It usually includes visual disturbances, such as loss of part of the visual field, flashing lights, and lines across the visual field. If notes indicate that the patient experienced any of the above symptoms, you-ll probably want to choose a migraine with aura code. Remember that not all migraine patients experience an aura, so it is vital that you know how to spot [...]
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