# weight loss/phenteramine



## cmac (May 28, 2008)

does anyone work for a physician who prescribes phenteramine for weight loss? i am having trouble with coding for this. i'm getting different codes for the same patient's sent to me and i'm working with the nurses and doctor to get this resolved but the 2 they are toggling between are 783.21 weight loss, abnormal (which is incorrect) or 278.00-278.02 obesity and overweight codes. we believe the obesity codes are correct if they meet that criteria. i'm wondering how others are coding these visits?


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## Beany011178 (May 28, 2008)

I use to work for a physician whom prescribed phenteramine.  I used the obesity dx codes as primary with the bmi range codes as secondary.  Hope this helps.


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## chyatt (Jun 3, 2008)

*weight loss/phentermine*

My physician uses polyphagia 783.6 (excessive appetite/eating) and fatigue 780.79 along with obesity and BMI.  He is superb with his documentation outlining the pt's eating habits as well as excercise and energy level.  Also, he requires that the patient have preliminary blood tests.  Often, an extremely obese pt will be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (or insulin resistance) 277.7 - a syndrome marked by the presence of 3 or more of a group of factors such as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels and high fasting levels of blood sugar.  Hope this helps!


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