Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question:  My ob-gyn saw a patient who was having problems breastfeeding her infant. What diagnosis code should I use?

Montana Subscriber

Answer: According to the Q3 2012 AHA Coding Clinic, you should report V24.1 (Postpartum care and examination, lactating mother, for an encounter to provide care, examination, supervision, counseling or other care related to lactation). You do not need any other additional counseling code.

You can also assign code 676.8x (Other disorders of lactation), if the patient has a problem with the breast or lactation.

Watch out: You should not report 779.31 (Feeding problems in newborn, for the mother's encounter).

ICD-10: When your diagnosis system changes, you should report the following equivalents to the diagnosis codes included in this Reader Question:

• Code V24.1 will become Z39.1 (Encounter for care and examination of lactating mother).
• The 676.8x codes will become O92.-- (Other disorders of breasts and disorders of lactation association with pregnancy and the puerperium).

Code 779.31 will become P92.1 (Regurgitation and rumination of newborn), P92.2 (Slow feeding of newborn), P92.8 (Other feeding problems of newborn), P92.9 (Feeding problem of newborn, unspecified).