# Essential Hypertension Vs Pulmonary Hypertension



## tharal (Sep 19, 2013)

Hi,

I have encountered a scenario, where the physician documented both Essential Hypertension and Pulmonary Hypertension. We will get 401.9  (essential hypertension) and 416.8 (Pulmonary hypertension).  coding Clinic reference says:

Pulmonary Hypertension with Chronic Endstage Renal Disease and Benign Hypertension

Coding Clinic, Third Quarter 2010 Page: 12
Effective with Discharges: October 1, 2010

Question:

What are the code assignments for chronic endstage renal disease and benign hypertension with pulmonary hypertension? Category 401, Essential hypertension, excludes codes in category 416, Chronic pulmonary heart disease.

Answer:

Assign codes 416.8, Other chronic pulmonary heart diseases, 403.11, Hypertensive chronic kidney disease, benign, with chronic kidney disease stage V or end stage renal disease, and 585.6, End stage renal disease.

The “excludes note” at category 401 indicates essential and pulmonary hypertension are coded in separate categories; however, when the physician diagnoses both conditions, the two categories may be reported together."

From this I understands we can add the specific forms of hypertension like benign/malignant or hypertensive kidney/or hypertensive heart etc. along with pulmonary hypertension 416.8. But need clarification on the following...


Do we need to code 401.9 an unspecified hypertension with a specified type of hypertension which is pulmonary hypertension 416.8?  

Thanks for any reply...

Thara L CPC H


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## mitchellde (Sep 19, 2013)

Essential hypertension and pulmonary hypertension are 2 different things so if both are documented then yes you may code both.


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## tharal (Sep 19, 2013)

Thanks Debra...It was really helpful.

Thara L CPC H


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