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Cardiology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Verify V Codes With Reason for Surgery

Published on Tue Feb 20, 2007

Question: Is there a specific diagnosis code for pre-op surgical clearance, or should I simply report the reason for the clearance, such as CAD, 414.01? Texas Subscriber Answer: In most cases, you should use V72.81 (Preoperative cardiovascular examination) as the primary diagnosis. For claims for preoperative medical exams, list the appropriate V code (V72.81-V72.84, Preoperative examinations) along with the reason for the surgery and the reason for the preoperative clearance as supplemental codes, according to the Medicare Carriers Manual.
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