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Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Reader questions:

Describe Follow-Up Visits Accurately With V Codes

Published on Fri Apr 01, 2011

Question: If a patient receives treatment and the condition was resolved, which ICD-9 code should I report if the patient returns in six months for a follow-up visit?Connecticut SubscriberAnswer: The most accurate way to code visits to follow up on treatment for a previous condition is to report a V code as the primary diagnosis, with the condition that the optometrist is following up on as the secondary diagnosis.You can find the follow-up V codes in the V67.x series in the ICD-9 manual. Although none specifically mention eye treatments, these are some examples of V codes that might be applicable:V67.00 -- Follow-up examination; following surgery, unspecifiedV67.59 -- ... following other treatment; otherV67.6 -- ... following combined treatmentV67.9 -- ... unspecified follow-up examination.Beware: Some payers won't accept a V code as a primary diagnosis to support payment. Some experts advise reporting the original diagnosis as the primary ICD-9 code, arguing that it best describes the [...]
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