READER QUESTIONS:
Post-Chemo ECG May Need Special Dx Code
Published on Fri Jan 23, 2009
Question: We perform ECGs on some patients to monitor whether chemotherapy drugs, such as Trisenox, affect their hearts. What diagnosis codes should we use for these services? Mississippi Subscriber Answer: If the ECG results are normal, you should report a "special screening" V code for the diagnosis.Depending on your documentation, report one of the following codes: • V81.0 -- Special screening for cardiovascular, respiratory, and genitourinary disease; ischemic heart disease • V81.1 -- ... hypertension • V81.2 -- ... other and unspecified cardiovascular conditions. Potential problem: Payers may not cover the cost of a screening exam. If your payer won't reimburse you for a screening, you may need to obtain an advance beneficiary notice (ABN) from the patient. Ask him to sign the form that says he agrees to pay for the test if Medicare won't cover it. Some private payers offer similar waivers. Try this: Some payers will reimburse you for heart [...]