Wiki E662 vs E6601

[Corelifebilling]

HI!

Currently our practice uses E662 for morbid obesity dx recently we've looked into E6601 but are unsure if it would be a covered dx since the description is "morbid obese due to excess calories". To me, I can't imagine an insurance seeing that as a medical condition whereas E662 is morbid obese with alveolar hypoventilation.

Side note, we do perform RMR tests which is a breathing test, so technically we are testing a patients ventilation.. would E662 still be the proper code to use or should E6601 be the code to use for our morbid obese patients?

 

[mitchellde]

to use E66.2 the provider must document the patient is morbidly obese and the patient has alveolar hypoventilation. this is as automatic causal relationship but both conditions must be documented. the condition of alveolar hypoventilation cannot be assumed. Nor can morbid obesity be assumed. if the provider documents obesity it cannot be coded as morbid based on the BMI.

 

[michellepilcher]

E66.01 is the code I use for morbid obesity and it is covered as long as the plan does not have an exclusion.