Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Question: How should I code for a patient with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy?

Answer: The diagnosis code you report depends on the retinopathy's severity. ICD-9 has several codes to describe the condition.

Do this: Check the medical record to see if you can find any more information on the type of retinopathy.

Then, choose one of the following diagnosis codes:

• 362.03 -- Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathyNOS

• 362.04 -- Mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy

• 362.05 -- Moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy

• 362.06 -- Severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

If there is no further information regarding the nature of the nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, then your coding will be:

• 250.50 -- Diabetes with ophthalmic manifestations, Type II or unspecified type, not stated as uncontrolled

• 362.03.