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Question:
When the provider’s documentation indicates a patient has both depression and anxiety by using terminology such as depression and anxiety or depression with anxiety, are these diagnoses coded separately? Does the classification assume a linkage between the two conditions? There are no Excludes 1 notes that prohibit coding depression and anxiety together. What is the appropriate code assignment for a patient with depression and anxiety?
Answer:
The classification does not assume a linkage between depression and anxiety; therefore, documentation of the two conditions is not sufficient to link them together. Assign codes F32.9, Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified, and F41.9, Anxiety disorder, unspecified, when the documentation has not established a linkage between the depression and the anxiety.
If, however, the provider does indicate a relationship between the two conditions, it would be appropriate to assign code F41.8, Other specified anxiety disorders. This code assignment includes anxiety depression and mixed anxiety and depressive disorder.
How do I code depression with anxiety? Would this be coded as F41.8?
Per coding clinic it says we cannot assume linkage but if provider does indicate a relationship it would be appropriate to code F41.8. If provider documents "Depression WITH anxiety" Would the word "WITH" be enough to indicate a relationship?
In coding clinic they only address depression AND anxiety not depression WITH anxiety so I am not sure if it includes it.
Depression and Anxiety
Question:
When the provider’s documentation indicates a patient has both depression and anxiety by using terminology such as depression and anxiety or depression with anxiety, are these diagnoses coded separately? Does the classification assume a linkage between the two conditions? There are no Excludes 1 notes that prohibit coding depression and anxiety together. What is the appropriate code assignment for a patient with depression and anxiety?
Answer:
The classification does not assume a linkage between depression and anxiety; therefore, documentation of the two conditions is not sufficient to link them together. Assign codes F32.9, Major depressive disorder, single episode, unspecified, and F41.9, Anxiety disorder, unspecified, when the documentation has not established a linkage between the depression and the anxiety.
If, however, the provider does indicate a relationship between the two conditions, it would be appropriate to assign code F41.8, Other specified anxiety disorders. This code assignment includes anxiety depression and mixed anxiety and depressive disorder.
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