Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Reporting the appropriate cancer code makes all the difference To ensure proper ICD-9 coding for PET scan procedures, make sure you know the eight kinds of cancers Medicare covers. These cancers often determine the diagnosis codes your physician will list. But if your physician bills for a PET scan on a Medicare patient with a nonapproved cancer, you can expect a denial. Here are some examples of ICD-9 codes most Medicare payers will accept for these cancers: Esophageal -- 150.x, Malignant neoplasm of esophagus Colorectal -- 153.x, Malignant neoplasm of colon Non-small cell lung -- 162.x, Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus, and lung Melanoma -- 172.x, Malignant melanoma of skin Breast -- 174.x, Malignant neoplasm of female breast Thyroid -- 193, Malignant neoplasm of thyroid gland Head and neck -- 195.0, Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sites; head, face, and neck Lymphoma -- 202.0x, Other malignant neoplasms of lymphoid and histiocytic tissue; nodular lymphoma.