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Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

ICD-9 2011 Update:

Focus Transfusion Reaction Dx With Host of New Codes

Published on Mon May 10, 2010

Revisions spotlight iron metabolism disorders.If you ever bill transfusion medicine codes (86850-86999), you can't afford to miss ICD-9 revisions that will show medical necessity or report testing results for many of these services. You'll find transfusion reaction codes front and center in the recent CMS posting of ICD-9 2011 proposed codes. The changes are set to go into effect Oct. 1, 2010 -- watch for possible minor changes to the codes when the CMS releases the final version in the fall.Why it matters: "Billing for a lab test using a 'truncated' ICD-9 code because you're not reporting the condition to the highest level of specificity means you might face denials for your services," says William Dettwyler, MTAMT, president of Codus Medicus, a laboratory coding consulting firm in Salem, Ore.Expand Your Iron Overload OptionsIf you need to code hemochromatosis, ICD-9 2010 directs you to 275.0 (Disorders of iron metabolism). But you may have [...]
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