tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2006 Issue 9

Reader Questions: Make Bronchitis Dx as Specific as Possible

Question: When I use 491.9 to describe a patient's bronchitis, payers often deny the code and request additional information. How can I avoid this added step?North Dakota Subscriber Answer: Choose a more accurate ICD-9 code instead of the unspecified chronic code that you-re using (491.9, Unspecified chronic bronchitis). Here's how: When the physician indicates that a patient has -chronic bronchitis,- ICD-9 leads you to select 491.9. To maximize space, the selections provided on the encounter form might only offer the physician non-specific diagnoses. Your physician's documented asthma diagnosis may actually be more specific...

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