Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Subtle differences in your gastroenterologist's documentation could radically change which diagnosis codes you should report on a claim for a pregnant patient.

You'll do one of two things:

• Choose a code from the pregnancy complication category -- even if your gastroenterologist isn't the physician managing the pregnancy.

• Report the condition your gastro is treating, followed by V22.2 (Pregnant state, incidental).

Scenario: A pregnant patient presents to your gastroenterology practice for the ongoing management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Check out these documentation examples, and discover which ICD-9 code(s) you should report.

Example: Your gastroenterologist evaluates and manages the patient's GERD complaints. He also notes, "Patient is three months pregnant." What primary diagnosis code should you report to support the E/M service?

Solution: If you said 530.8X (Esophageal reflux), then you are technically incorrect. Because the gastroenterologist mentioned the patient is three months pregnant, you should instead look to a code from the 630-677 series.

Why: "The obstetric codes are always primary for conditions affecting the pregnancy," says Melanie Witt, RN, CPC-OGS, MA, an independent coding consultant in Guadalupita, N.M. "This is true whether the physician is managing the pregnancy or managing a separate problem."

Still hesitant? Reporting an obstetric code will not interfere with the patient's ob global package, which is governed by the provider who is giving her maternity care. "Just as a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist (MFM) can bill separately for visits related to pregnancy care," so can your gastroenterologist, Witt says.

You can report 530.8X as a secondary diagnosis.

Example: In the same scenario, the physician evaluates and manages the patient for her GERD. But instead, he states, "GERD not affected by pregnancy." What primary diagnosis should you report to support the E/M service?

Solution: In this case, you should report the GERD diagnosis first 530.8X. Your secondary diagnosis should be V22.2. This code indicates, "Oh, by the way, the patient is pregnant," says Lana Flatt, CPC, veteran coder at a physician practice in Cookeville, Tenn.

Why: "The physician had written the condition was incidental to pregnancy," Witt says. "In other words, this condition did not complicate the pregnancy nor the management of the mother or fetus."

If you have a question about this rule, you should go straight to the source. The ICD-9-CM Official Guidelines Section I (C)(11)(a)(1) state:

Best bet: Make sure everyone in your practice is on the same page. If your gastroenterologist fails to note the pregnancy is incidental, you should apply a code from the 630-677 series. However, you will find that ICD-9 rules are not as strict as CPT, for instance.