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Pediatric Coding Alert

Vaccines:

Timing and Patient Age Make All the Difference When Giving Catch-Up Immunizations

Published on Thu Apr 01, 2010

Check out the new V code that helps you explain catch-up immunizations to your payers.If your practice sees a new 8-year-old patient who has never received a vaccine and her mother now wants to start the process, how should you bill Medicaid when the vaccines aren't age appropriate?"This situation is not uncommon, but when it happens it's important to catch up as quickly as possible," says Richard L. Tuck, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician at PrimeCare of Southeastern Ohio in Zanesville.The next time you're faced with a similar scenario, follow our experts' advice for an easy transition on all sides.The Patient's Age Guides Vaccines -- And Your CodingWhether you're coding for a child who's behind schedule or starting late, the child's age helps guide the vaccinations. Remember: "Falling behind schedule" means the child is more than one month late with a vaccine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the [...]
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