Wiki Long Term Use of Aspirin

rmooney1114

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Hello, I have a question in regards to Risk Adjustment coding. When extracting codes from documentation, If Aspirin is in the current medication list, would you automatically code for Long Term Use of Aspirin? Have a debate in regards to this and I wanted other opinions/thoughts on this..

My personal thought is unless it states somewhere in the note or med list what the patient is taking Aspirin for, and if it is in fact long term use then we shouldn't be reporting long term use of aspirin for every patient that has aspirin on their current med list?!?!

Thank you!!
 
I would agree with you that the inclusion in a medication list is not sufficient information to be able to assign the code. Per guidelines: "Assign a code from Z79 if the patient is receiving a medication for an extended period as a prophylactic measure (such as for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis) or as treatment of a chronic condition (such as arthritis) or a disease requiring a lengthy course of treatment (such as cancer). Do not assign a code from category Z79 for medication being administered for a brief period of time to treat an acute illness or injury (such as a course of antibiotics to treat acute bronchitis)." Without documentation of the reason for the medication, I don't think you have enough information to support this.
 
Risk Adjustment and Long Term Use of ASA

There is only 1 long term use med, insulin, that is RA. So whether you code ASA as long term use r not, it will not fall into any medicare HCC.

I hope this help

Tina M. Moreland, MPH, RN, CPC, CRC
Clinical Analyst
(for a Large Health Insurance Company)
 
Tina, that is true. However, some CCC projects require meds to be captured. You'd want to link the aspirin to some sort of condition like CAD, Old MI, PAD, Tx for OA, pain syndromes... it does happen.


There is only 1 long term use med, insulin, that is RA. So whether you code ASA as long term use r not, it will not fall into any medicare HCC.

I hope this help

Tina M. Moreland, MPH, RN, CPC, CRC
Clinical Analyst
(for a Large Health Insurance Company)
 
There is only 1 long term use med, insulin, that is RA. So whether you code ASA as long term use r not, it will not fall into any medicare HCC.

I hope this help

Tina M. Moreland, MPH, RN, CPC, CRC
Clinical Analyst
(for a Large Health Insurance Company)

Thank you, I wasn't just referring to Medicare HCC's, there are other risk adjustment models such as DxCG in which long term use of aspirin does risk adjust, that's why I was asking.
Thanks!
 
Tina, that is true. However, some CCC projects require meds to be captured. You'd want to link the aspirin to some sort of condition like CAD, Old MI, PAD, Tx for OA, pain syndromes... it does happen.

Thank you , yes that was the point I was trying to get across, was that it should be linked to some sort of condition if we are to report as long term use, otherwise we shouldn't be capturing long term use of aspiring for every patient that has this on their med list. Thanks for your response!!
 
I would agree with you that the inclusion in a medication list is not sufficient information to be able to assign the code. Per guidelines: "Assign a code from Z79 if the patient is receiving a medication for an extended period as a prophylactic measure (such as for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis) or as treatment of a chronic condition (such as arthritis) or a disease requiring a lengthy course of treatment (such as cancer). Do not assign a code from category Z79 for medication being administered for a brief period of time to treat an acute illness or injury (such as a course of antibiotics to treat acute bronchitis)." Without documentation of the reason for the medication, I don't think you have enough information to support this.

Thank you so much, that what I was thinking as well.
 
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