Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Published on Tue Sep 09, 2008 PDF

Check out your diagnosis coding finesse with 5 quick ICD-9 coding questions.

Although the new edition of the ICD-9 manual is entitled, "ICD-9 2009," Medicare carriers required you to begin using the new codes as of Oct. 1. If you're still unsure about which codes have expired and which are new, check out the following five true or false questions. Once you've answered all of them, turn to page 283 to find out how you fared.

Question 1: Your patient presents with a cluster headache that has recurred off and on for six months. The physician has prescribed medications in the past but the patient is back for another evaluation due to the chronic nature of the headache.

True or False? You'll report 784.0 (Headache) for this encounter.

Question 2: Your physician diagnoses a patient with a relapse of chronic monocytic leukemia.

True or False: You should report this diagnosis with 206.1 (Monocytic leukemia; chronic).

Question 3: Your practice saw a patient and your physician diagnosed her with a plantar wart on the bottom of her foot.

True or False? You should report 078.12 (Plantar wart) for this patient's condition.

Question 4: Your physician performed a vaginal Pap smear which showed atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance.

True or False? You should report 795.1 (Abnormal Papani-colaou smear of vagina and vaginal HPV) for this patient's condition.

Question 5: Your physician treats a patient in the hospital and diagnoses the patient with pneumonia. The patient's condition is severe enough that she requires ventilator assistance to breathe.

True or False? You should report the patient's condition with diagnosis code 997.31 (Ventilator associated pneumonia).

Once you think you've nailed down the answers to these tough questions, check out page 283 to determine where your skills are strong, and where you can improve upon your diagnosis proficiency.