Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Hint: You must code what you know at the end of the visit.

If a patient suspects she is pregnant and the ob-gyn orders a urine pregnancy test, then you should report a pregnancy test diagnosis code.

ICD-9-CM Codes: Currently, you should report these “V” codes:

• V72.40, Pregnancy examination or test, pregnancy unconfirmed
  
• V72.41, Pregnancy examination or test, negative result
  
• V72.42, Pregnancy examination or test, positive result.
  

ICD-10-CM Codes: After October 1, you’ll shift to the following “Z” codes:

•  Z32.00, Encounter for pregnancy test, result unknown
  
•  Z32.01, Encounter for pregnancy test, result positive
  
•  Z32.02, Encounter for pregnancy test, result negative.
  

ICD-10-CM Change: These “V” codes will become a “Z” codes with one-to-one correlations. The descriptors for each code change only in subtle ways.

Documentation: If your physician documents, “Encounter for pregnancy test NOS,” you should report Z32.00. However, you should remember that you should always code to the highest level of specificity.

Here is how you will locate these codes in the Alphabetic Index:

Encounter (with health service) (for)

•  pregnancy
•  test Z32.00
•  result positive Z32.01
•  result negative Z32.02

Coder Tips: You must always code to the highest level of specificity, so it is better to have the pregnancy test result rather than reporting the result unknown code (Z32.00).

When a patient presents to your ob-gyn practice suspecting she may be pregnant, you must code what you know at the end of the visit. These codes will most likely link to 81025 (Urine pregnancy test, by visual color comparison methods).