Primary Care Coding Alert

Denials possible without separate ICD-9s for immunization admin, supply. Do diagnosis coding choices for your FP's preventive medicine services drive you batty? Turns out there's a one-stop solution for ICD-9 coding for a preventive medicine service with screenings or immunization administration -- V20.2 for all. Save time assigning V codes by checking out these case studies. Link Check, Screening to Same Diagnosis When the FP performs screenings during a periodic well-child visit, you'll typically append V20.2 (Routine infant or child health check) as the primary diagnosis for all the services, confirms Jeffrey Linzer Sr., MD, FAAP, FACEP, associate medical director for compliance at Emergency Pediatric Group Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. Under the descriptor, there is a list of services you should code with V20.2 -- as well as other coding instructions, such as "excludes special screening for developmental handicaps [V79.3]." Example: A 10-year-old established patient receives a well-child exam, pure [...]