There are no more excuses for not recognizing a case mix code. Here they are at your fingertips. Would this chart be useful to your coworkers or employees? Feel free to copy and distribute the charts on these two pages. Source: PPS final rule, published in July 3, 2000 Federal Register and updates.
Improve reimbursement - give each of your coders a copy.
Add this tool to the Orthopedic Case Mix Reference Sheet from last month's issue of Home Health ICD-9 Alert and keep it near you when you code. Now you'll have a quick way to know when you are using a case mix code or when you have replaced one with a V code as primary, and need to put the case mix code in M0245.
Codes shown as 3 digits include all related 4 and 5 digit codes. Codes shown with 4 or 5 digits must be coded as shown to receive score in the clinical dimension.
Editor's Note: Qualifying neurological diagnosis codes add 20 points to the clinical severity domain of the Home Health Resource Group for a patient's episode of care. Diabetic diagnosis codes add 17 points. Codes listed as secondary in the chart above are ones the ICD-9-CM coding guidelines say should never be used as a primary diagnosis. The case mix system recognizes them as adding clinical points if they appear as the first secondary diagnosis (M0240) or on line b of M0245.