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Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

ICD-9 Alert:

Reporting 276.5 for Dehydration? Not So Fast

Published on Sun Sep 18, 2005

New codes for genetic testing also went into effect Oct. 1 Tell your physicians to start getting specific when documenting patient dehydration and genetic testing services or you-ll see a steep increase in denials.
 
As of Oct. 1, 2005, you should be reporting three new diagnosis codes for genetic testing and counseling:

-  V26.31-Testing for genetic disease carrier status

-  V26.32-Other genetic testing

- V26.33-Genetic counseling. Caution: Code V26.3 (Genetic counseling and testing) is obsolete now that these new codes are in place.

Hydration help: More new ICD-9 codes should allow oncologists to track dehydration better than before. Instead of reporting the general 276.5 (Volume depletion), you should start distinguishing between unspecified volume depletion (276.50), dehydration (276.51) and hypovolemia (276.52).
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