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Pediatric Coding Alert

Summer Coding:

Take the Pain Out of Coding Sunburns, Bee Stings, and Other Summer Visits With These Quick Tips

Published on Tue Jul 31, 2012

Know how swimmers' ear code will change under ICD-10. Summer weather means swimming, camp, and lots of time outside -- which can result in additional challenges for your pediatric practice. Check out this quick summer coding primer for answers to your most pressing seasonal coding issues. 1. Know Swimmers' Ear Code for 2012--And Beyond If you see a patient with swimmers' ear, it might be tempting to report a code from the 380.10 series (Infective otitis externa, unspecified) " but that would be a mistake. ICD-9 includes a specific code for acute swimmer's ear (380.12), which you should report anytime the pediatrician identifies the condition in the patient's chart. ICD-10 update: Once you are required to use the ICD-10 codeset (which will happen in October 2014 if CMS finalizes its current proposal), you'll instead choose from one of three codes, rather than using the single 380.12 code. The applicable ICD-10 codes will [...]
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