Wiki ICD-9 codes-I have a

carol52

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I have a co-worker who is asking about over coding with too many ICD-9 codes. She feels like too many codes are being used especially if we are not exactly treating that pt for that probelm but has been an issue in the past. Can any tell me how to best answer her about this ? Thanks for everyones help
 
Take a look at your ICD-9 guidelines, there is a section (not sure they are all formatted the same) I use Contexto Professional edition and its on page 26 of the Introduction/Official guidelines Section 3 " reporting additional diagnoses" I will try to copy and paste from the PDF I have.
For reporting purposes the definition for “other diagnoses” is interpreted as additional conditions that affect patient care in terms of requiring:
clinical evaluation; or
therapeutic treatment; or
diagnostic procedures; or
extended length of hospital stay; or
increased nursing care and/or monitoring.
The UHDDS item #11-b defines Other Diagnoses as “all conditions that coexist at the time of admission, that develop subsequently, or that affect the treatment received and/or the length of stay. Diagnoses that relate to an earlier episode which have no bearing on the current hospital stay are to be excluded.” UHDDS definitions apply to inpatients in acute care, short-term, long term care and psychiatric hospital setting. The UHDDS definitions are used by acute care short-term hospitals to report inpatient data elements in a standardized manner. These data elements and their definitions can be found in the July 31, 1985, Federal Register (Vol. 50, No, 147), pp. 31038-40.
Since that time the application of the UHDDS definitions has been expanded to include all non-outpatient settings (acute care, short term, long term care and psychiatric hospitals; home health agencies; rehab facilities; nursing homes, etc).
The following guidelines are to be applied in designating “other diagnoses” when neither the Alphabetic Index nor the Tabular List in ICD-9-CM provide direction. The listing of the diagnoses in the patient record is the responsibility of the attending provider.
A. Previous conditions
If the provider has included a diagnosis in the final diagnostic statement, such as the discharge summary or the face sheet, it should ordinarily be coded. Some providers include in the diagnostic statement resolved conditions or diagnoses and status-post procedures from previous admission that have no bearing on the current stay. Such conditions are not to be reported and are coded only if required by hospital policy.
However, history codes (V10-V19) may be used as secondary codes if the historical condition or family history has an impact on current care or influences treatment.
B. Abnormal findings
Abnormal findings (laboratory, x-ray, pathologic, and other diagnostic results) are not coded and reported unless the provider indicates their clinical significance. If the findings are outside the normal range and the attending provider has ordered other tests to evaluate the condition or prescribed treatment, it is appropriate to ask the provider whether the abnormal finding should be added.
Please note: This differs from the coding practices in the outpatient setting for coding encounters for diagnostic tests that have been interpreted by a provider.
C. Uncertain Diagnosis
If the diagnosis documented at the time of discharge is qualified as “probable”, “suspected”, “likely”, “questionable”, “possible”, or “still to be ruled out” or other similar terms indicating uncertainty, code the condition as if it existed or was established. The bases for these guidelines are the diagnostic workup, arrangements for further workup or observation, and initial therapeutic approach that correspond most closely with the established diagnosis.
Note: This guideline is applicable only to inpatient admissions to short-term, acute, long-term care and psychiatric hospital
 
I would say she is probably right

Although I don't know that I would call it overcoding on the physician side since we get paid based on cpt not icd.

For E/M you can assign dx points to any issue that affects the MDM for that visit. This does not mean you will always report it on your claim form. You should only be reporting what your provider is actually dealing with. The reverse is also true, putting the dx on the claim form doesn't mean you automatically get to assign and count points, possibly supporting a higher level of service.

Laura, CPC, CPMA, CEMC
 
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