tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2009 Issue 13

Case Study: Think Principal Diagnosis Is Enough? Think Again

4 steps paint complete ICD-9 picture for hernia repair patient. The medical record documents a diabetic patient with an inguinal hernia and a resolved thrombophlebitis incident. You're coding for the hernia repair -- what diagnosis code(s) should you use? A surgical patient's seemingly unrelated condition could impact the level of care. You need to tell the whole story of coexisting conditions when you select ICD-9 codes for a case. "The real issue from the perspective of ICD-9 Coding Clinic is when and which co-morbidities you need to code," says John F. Bishop, PA-C, CPC, MS, CWS, president of...

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