Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Check The Diagnosis:

All Migranes Are Not the Same

Intractable vs. non-intractable can set your reimbursement success

Before coding for migraine treatment, be sure you-re using the correct diagnosis.

Note: ICD-9 includes several choices in the 346.xx (Migraine) family, with fifth-digit classifications of 0 (without mention of intractable migraine) and 1 (with intractable migraine, so stated).

Tip: -Be sure to identify if the migraine is intractable or non-intractable,- says Marianne Wink-Sturgeon, RHIT, CPC, ACS-EM, with the University of Rochester Medical Center-s department of neurology in Rochester, NY. -This helps define the status and severity of the migraine.-

Example: Diagnosing a non-intractable migraine does not support the medical necessity of Botulinum injections as treatment. Some carriers, however, will approve Botulinum injections to treat an intractable migraine (346.91, Migraine, unspecified; with intractable migraine, so stated) once traditional treatments fail.

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