Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Reader Questions:

Look To Abnormality Of Gait For Mysterious Falls

Question: We are providing physical therapy for gait training for a patient who is experiencing falls of unknown etiology. How should we code for this?

-- Wisconsin Subscriber

Answer: When a patient falls without apparent cause, and the cause has not been diagnosed, then abnormality of gait is the correct symptom to code.

Because your agency is providing only therapy, put V57.1 (Other physical therapy) in M0230.

You can put the code for abnormality of gait (781.2) in M0246 and in M0240(b). Be sure to also code any other comorbidities that may impact the care even if the conditions require no home health treatment.

Unless otherwise indicated, reader questions were answered by Lisa Selman-Holman, JD, BSN, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, consultant and principal of Selman-Holman & Associates in Denton, TX.