Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: Which diagnosis code should I report when a pacemaker battery dies?

Nevada Subscriber

Answer: When the pacemaker battery time expires, and this is expected, report V53.31 (Fitting and adjustment of cardiac pacemaker) when the physician replaces a pacemaker battery.

If the battery "dies" before the expected service time expires, such as when a 10-year battery stops functioning after five years, you should report 996.01 (Mechanical complication due to cardiac pacemaker [electrode]).

You can also report the reason the patient had the pacemaker inserted as a secondary diagnosis code. For instance, you might use 427.81 (Cardiac dysrhythmia, sick sinus, tachycardia-bradycardia) for sick sinus syndrome as a secondary diagnosis, as appropriate.

Remember that the end of a pacemaker battery's life is not a complication in and of itself. Think of it like a car battery: If you buy a 36-month battery and the battery lasts almost 36 months or longer, you expect it to "die." However, battery failure after only 12 months is not normal, and you would expect a refund from the manufacturer for unexpected failure.