Cardiology Coding Alert

2 examples shed light on proper 402-and 403-range use. When you check the physician's documentation for a hypertensive patient, don't be surprised if you see other conditions listed. Keep in mind: Sometimes patients have hypertension with another condition, such as renal disease or renal artery stenosis, and there is one code that includes both conditions, says Jaime Darling, CPC, a coder with Graybill Medical Group in Escondido, Calif. For instance, the 403 code series indicates hypertensive renal disease, and the 404 series indicates hypertensive heart and renal disease. Example 1: If your physician documents a patient with benign hypertensive renal disease with renal failure,you would report 403.11 (Hypertensive chronic kidney disease; benign; with chronic kidney disease stage V or end stage renal disease). You need only this one code to describe the patient's entire condition. Example 2: If your physician treats a patient with benign hypertensive disease with heart failure, [...]