Outpatient Facility Coding Alert

Answer: Yes. You can use iron deficiency anemia for a colonoscopy if the provider has determined that the patient has this diagnosis. You will choose a code from the group 280.x (Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs; Iron deficiency anemias) with a fourth digit (0-9) expansion to specify the origin of the anemia. 

 

Option 2: If the provider has not definitively diagnosed the iron deficiency anemia, a better choice would be 790.6 (Other abnormal blood chemistry), which will pinpoint the abnormal blood levels of one or more of the following:

Caveat: Ask your physician for a definitive diagnosis before coding the service, as some insurance companies may not cover 790.6. The diagnostic colonoscopy service to investigate a new condition of iron deficiency will not be covered as routine screening under the Accountable Care Act and will be subject to deductibles and co-payments.