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Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Gastroenterology Coding:

Should You Report Pain, Bloating, and Constipation Without a Diagnosis?

Published on Wed Oct 29, 2025

Question: A patient presented with abdominal pain, constipation, and bloating. The gastroenterologist treated all three symptoms. Should we code all three symptoms or is constipation a diagnosis? Texas Subscriber Answer: You’ll report all three symptoms if the provider didn’t document a definitive diagnosis in the encounter note. Regardless of whether constipation is an isolated condition or a symptom of another [...]
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