Thursday, 5 September 2013

G0105, 45378: Use This Coding Combination For Your High-Risk Patients

Irrespective of findings, stick to V10.05 to define condition.

Correctly reporting colorectal cancer screenings on patients at high risk for the disease can depend on fine points like allocating the right V code. Read this expert medical coding article and know what ICD-9 codes apply in this scenario.

Examine the following given scenario and the medical coding advice that follows to ace these claims -- and recover your deserved reimbursement for these services:

Scenario: A patient has a personal history of colon cancer, went through treatment for colon cancer six years before, however she is presently facing no symptoms. Her 2006 colonoscopy came out clear, as well as her recent one carried out about a month ago. You billed 45378 for the procedure, and then you selected V10.05, from the ICD-9 codes, for the diagnosis. Though, the patient called complaining you should've billed the procedure as routine as her last two colonoscopies were clean. How would you resolve this?

Choose G0105 Or 45378, But Get The History Diagnosis Right

In case you're billing Medicare, you smust report the procedure as a high risk screening with code G0105 (Colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual at high risk). Then, from ICD-9 codes, report V code V10.05 (Personal history of malignant neoplasm of large intestine) as the primary diagnosis.

Code V10.05 fits the bill for primary diagnosis as the patient presents to the office for a screening exam and not precisely for follow-up assessment of the cancer. In case the encounter's purpose is for cancer surveillance and follow-up at an interval close by the surgical treatment, you could, as an alternative, code V67.09 (Follow-up examination following other surgery) as your primary diagnosis. Though, keep in mind that this ICD-9 code is seldom used.

On the contrary, certain commercial carriers would need the code 45378 (Colonoscopy, flexible, proximal to splenic flexure; diagnostic, with or without collection of specimen[s] by brushing or washing, with or without colon decompression [separate procedure]) with modifier 33 (Preventive services) appended to signify that the service was preventive, and the V code V10.05 as diagnosis.

Don't forget: From ICD-9 codes, you must list V10.05 as your primary diagnosis for both circumstances (Medicare and commercial payers), irrespective of the fact that the results were clear or not. Use this ICD-9 code if all treatment focused toward the cancer is complete and there are no symptoms of current disease . Don't make the error of reporting a cancer code (153.3, Malignant neoplasm of sigmoid colon) or the family history code (V16.0, Family history of malignant neoplasm of gastrointestinal tract).

Draw On Diplomacy To Confer With Patients

Complaints like this from patients on a screening colonoscopy are common in the gastroenterology practice. The best guidance is to talk it out with your patient, and make clear how their cancer history influences the medical coding.

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