Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Gastroenterology Coding:

Find Out When to Use a History of UC Code

Question: When can ulcerative colitis (UC) in remission be called history of UC? Does the patient have to have had a resection first and be symptom-free for a specific time period, or can a patient who has been in remission for three years with no medications be considered a “history of” status?

Arizona Subscriber

Answer: UC is a lifelong disease, and the condition is not curable. You would report UC in remission as UC without complications, with codes such as the following:

  • K51.50 (Left sided colitis without complications)
  • K51.80 (Other ulcerative colitis without complications)
  • K51.90 (Ulcerative colitis, unspecified, without complications)

You would only code “history of” when the patient had a full colectomy. UC can be in remission for many years but is still an active, chronic disease.

Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Production Editor, AAPC