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Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Part 2:

Diagnosis Coding: 285.3 vs. 284.89: Documentation of 'Aplastic' Can Help Steer Your Coding

Published on Wed Sep 07, 2011

Discover which condition is more likely to be caused by chemotherapy.Patients with cancer may develop anemia from a number of causes. Here are some clues to help you pinpoint the source and keep your coding compliant.Flashback: Last month, Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert, vol. 13, no. 9, discussed coding treatment of anemia caused by cancer (see "Part 1: 285.22 Scenario Reveals Importance of Following Official Guidelines"). This article digs deeper into proper anemia coding, looking at codes for anemia caused by treatment and at how guidelines are expected to change when ICD-10 use becomes mandatory in 2013.Double Check Documentation Before You Assign 284.89When documentation shows that antineoplastic chemotherapy caused a patient's anemia, you need to consider two codes:285.3, Antineoplastic chemotherapy induced anemia 284.89, Other specified aplastic anemias, due to drugs.The main difference between the two is that 284.89 references "aplastic" anemia. "Aplasia implies that the bone marrow is 'wiped out,'" [...]
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