tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2018 Issue 9

Reader Question: Know What Constitutes Primary Dx

Question: We saw a patient who presented for a COPD exacerbation and he went into acute respiratory failure. We reported the ARF code but our administrator says that’s not appropriate. Is that not meant to be a primary diagnosis? Supercoder.com Subscriber Answer: According to ICD-10 guidelines, if acute respiratory failure (ARF) is the primary reason for the patient’s visit, then you may choose an appropriate code from subcategory J96.0- (Acute respiratory failure…), or subcategory J96.2-, (Acute and chronic respiratory failure…) as the primary diagnosis. But if the ARF occurs later, the rules...

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