Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Question: May I report M8470/1 on the claim form, or do I have to use the neoplasm table?Codify MemberAnswer: You should not report morphology code M8470/1 on the claim form you send to the payer. Instead, use the neoplasm table to locate the most likely ICD-9 code, and then confirm your choice by checking the ICD-9 tabular list.The morphology code you indicate represents mucinous cystadenoma, borderline malignancy, according to Appendix A of ICD-9-CM. So you should report the appropriate uncertain behavior neoplasm ICD-9 code, based on the anatomic site.Morphology codes: These codes are used for tumor registry, and although you can't report them on claims as diagnosis codes, you can "translate" them to help you choose your ICD-9 codes if you know how.The morphology codes begin with the letter M followed by five digits. The first four digits identify the neoplasm histologic type, such as adenoma or lipoma. A slash [...]