Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Reader Questions:

Does Nursing Nix V57.x?

Question: I have a question about the V57.x (Care involving use of rehabilitation procedures) therapy codes. If we are going to be sending a nurse to the home just one time to do some teaching regarding the medications signs and symptoms of complications, etc., but otherwise the therapist is going out to see the patient, and therapy is going to be the primary focus, can we use the V57.x codes?

-- Colorado Subscriber

Answer: The question should not be "can" but "should" you use the V57.x codes. First you have to understand that a one-time visit as you described is not considered skilled nursing care because skilled nursing must be intermittent.

In this case, because the nursing visit is not billable, the case is still therapy-only, and V57.x would be appropriate as primary.

Reader questions were answered by Lisa Selman-Holman, JD, BSN, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, consultant and principal of Selman-Holman & Associates and CoDR -- Coding Done Right in Denton, TX.

Other Articles in this issue of

Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

View All