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Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

You Be the Coder:

Look Beyond 250.00 for 'Charcot Foot'

Published on Sun Mar 21, 2010

Question: The podiatrist saw an elderly patient with "Charcot foot" that requires treatment. The main cause of this condition is uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Should I code 250.00 for the diagnosis? Oregon Subscriber Answer: To code correctly for Charcot foot, work from the bottom up. Start with the secondary diagnosis code, which would be 713.5 (Arthropathy associated with neurological disorders). Both Charcot's arthropathy associated with diseases classifiable elsewhere and neuropathic arthritis associated with diseases classifiable elsewhere fall under 713.5, according to the brackets following the code's description. Then tackle the underlying disease as the primary diagnosis. Under 713.5, ICD-9 includes these possibilities: tabetic [syphilitic] (094.0) diabetic (249.6, 250.6) syringomyelic (336.0). Tip: Ask your provider to document the etiology.That way, you will avoid labeling a patient with a diagnosis like neuorsyphilis if he or she does not have it. Important: While diabetes is the most commoncause [of Charcot arthropathy], [...]
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