Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

ICD-10:

Stop Thinking of 646.83 As Your Pregnancy Complication Catch-All Code After Oct. 1

You’ll need to specify trimester for all of these conditions.

Pregnant patients may present to a provider with conditions complicating her pregnancy. These might include low weight gain, herpes gestationis, exhaustion/fatigue, or some other condition not found in your coding manual. 

Currently, you would report 646.83 (Other specified complications of pregnancy; antepartum condition or complication).

ICD-10-CM Codes: However, all that changes when your diagnosis system changes October 1. Here are your new more specific options:

  • O26.10, Low weight gain in pregnancy, unspecified trimester
  • O26.11, Low weight gain in pregnancy, first trimester
  • O26.12, Low weight gain in pregnancy, second trimester
  • O26.13, Low weight gain in pregnancy, third trimester
  • O26.40, Herpes gestationis, unspecified trimester
  • O26.41, Herpes gestationis, first trimester
  • O26.42, Herpes gestationis, second trimester
  • O26.43, Herpes gestationis, third trimester
  • O26.811, Pregnancy related exhaustion and fatigue,first trimester
  • O26.812, Pregnancy related exhaustion and fatigue, second trimester
  • O26.813, Pregnancy related exhaustion and fatigue, third trimester
  • O26.819, Pregnancy related exhaustion and fatigue, unspecified trimester
  • O26.891, Other specified pregnancy related conditions, first trimester
  • O26.892, Other specified pregnancy related conditions, second trimester
  • O26.893, Other specified pregnancy related conditions, third trimester
  • O26.899, Other specified pregnancy related conditions, unspecified trimester

ICD-10-CM Change: No longer should you look to 646.83 as a catch-all code to use when a patient comes in with a symptom that is the result of her being pregnant. When ICD-10 implementation date rolls around, you’ll have a variety of more specific options from which to choose.

Documentation: Notice how these conditions range from low weight to herpes to exhaustion and fatigue. Check your physician’s notes for the specific complication and trimester (which is usually already stated).

Here’s how you’ll find these codes in the Alphabetic Index: 

Herpes, herpes virus, herpetic B00.9
- gestational, gestationis O26.4-

Pregnancy (childbirth) (labor) (puerperium) —see also Delivery and Puerperal

  • complicated by (care of) (management affected by)
  • chloasma (gravidarum) O26.89-
  • insufficient
  • weight gain O26.1-
  • exhaustion O26.81-
  • fatigue O26.81-
  • pruritus (neurogenic) O26.89-
  • ptyalism O26.89-
  • salivation (excessive) O26.89-
  • specified condition NEC O26.89-
  • Hysteralgia, pregnant uterus O26.89-

Coding tips: Do not let the difference between O99.89 (Other specified diseases and conditions complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium) and O26.89x confuse you. Code O99.89 is one of 648.93 (Other current conditions classifiable elsewhere of mother antepartum)’s equivalents. You would use this code for conditions she has developed while pregnant (but not due to the pregnancy) or had before her pregnancy that does not have a specific code. The codes listed above pertain to conditions related to pregnancy. In other words, she would not have them were she not pregnant.