Debra, not that I don't believe you, I would like to see a reference to that.
All of the otolaryngology seminars that I have been to with the AOA and Zupko have always said that? At least that is what I took away from it.
I am going email the Academy of Otolaryngology tomorrow and see if we can get a better definitive answer.
It's always nice to hear your thoughts
This issue has been addressed many times in Coding Clinics which are the most definitive source of coding information and answers.
However in the Coding guidelines it states:
There are four primary circumstances for the use of V codes:
1)
A person who is not currently sick encounters the health services for some specific reason, such as to act as an organ donor, to receive prophylactic care, such as inoculations or health screenings, or to receive counseling on health related issues.
2)
A person with a resolving disease or injury, or a chronic, long-term condition requiring continuous care, encounters the health care system for specific aftercare of that disease or injury (e.g., dialysis for renal disease; chemotherapy for malignancy; cast change). A diagnosis/symptom code should be used whenever a current, acute, diagnosis is being treated or a sign or symptom is being studied.
and :
The follow-up codes are used to explain continuing surveillance following completed treatment of a disease,condition, or injury. They imply that the condition has been fully treated and no longer exists.
When a child has tubes inserted the reason is because they have HAD chronic ear infections, there is never an acute infection at the time of surgery, the follow up encounters are exactly that, follow-up and need to be coded this way. As I have already stated the patient no longer has the condition of otitis media and it is irresponsisble to continue to code it as a current condition.
