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Radiology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

733.90 Diagnosis Means No More 'Screenings'

Published on Thu Mar 01, 2012

Question: A patient presents to the office for screening DXA bone density test, but the order from her doctor states osteopenia and osteoporosis. Is this considered a screening, and what V code would we use for the diagnosis?Codify MemberAnswer: The answer depends on whether the order is saying "screening to rule out osteoporosis/osteopenia" or whether it's saying the patient has already been diagnosed with those, which would mean the test is no longer considered a screening. Screening: If the physician ordered the exam before a diagnosis was made, you should consider this a screening. Report the DXA (for example, 77080, Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry [DXA], bone density study, 1 or more sites; axial skeleton [e.g., hips, pelvis, spine]) and the screening diagnosis (V82.81, Special screening for osteoporosis). If there's a confirmed finding (such as osteopenia, 733.90, Disorder of bone and cartilage, unspecified), you should report the code for the finding as [...]
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