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Pulmonology Coding Alert

Set the Record Straight:

Diagnosis Code Options for COPD

Published on Mon Jan 25, 2010

What your pulmonologist writes in the documentation matters. The pulmonologist's documentation, along with the patient's medical record, can make or break your chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reporting. One key is making sure that your coding accurately identifies the patient's specific pulmonary condition and any other associated acute condition (if necessary). Background: According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, COPD is a serious lung disease that, over time, makes it hard to breathe. In people who have COPD, the airways --" the bronchial tubes hrough which air moves in and out of your lungs --" are partially blocked, which makes it more difficult to get air out than in. These hints will help you determine which ICD-9 codes you should report when the patient has other conditions that are related to COPD. Hint 1: Category 493 Fits COPD and Asthma Asthma is a disease distinct from COPD. However,the [...]
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