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Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS :

Extend Fever Dx to 5th Digit

Published on Thu May 28, 2009

Question: Medicare denied 780.6 as an invalid code for a patient who had a high fever, along with nausea and vomiting. What code should I have used instead? Michigan Subscriber Answer: ICD-9 2009 deleted 780.6 (Fever) and created four more specific fever codes. When you are filing the claim for services the physician provides as of Oct. 1, 2008, report 787.01 (Nausea with vomiting) and choose one of the following for the fever diagnosis: " 780.60 -- Fever, unspecified " 780.61 -- Fever presenting with conditions classified elsewhere " 780.62 -- Postprocedural fever " 780.63 -- Postvaccination fever. -- Clinical and coding expertise for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Marvel J. Hammer, RN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-PM, CHCO, owner of MJH Consulting in Denver.
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