mutually exclusive codes

[stephpatschorke]

I am trying to bill code M65.341 (trigger finger) and M70.61 (bursitis of hip) and my billing program is generating an edit stating that these codes cannot be billed together bc they are mutually exclusive. Can someone explain this to me since they are totally different parts of the body? thanks!

 

[mitchellde]

The WHO admitted in October 2015 that there were a few errors with the excludes 1 notes and that some should be excludes 2. To that end an interim advice was published allowing you in some cases to override the excludes 1 edit until it can be fixed for Oct 2016.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/icd/Interim_advice_updated_final.pdf

 

[stephpatschorke]

Thanks!