Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Question: How would I code for a toe ulcer and PVD? Our patient doesn't have diabetes, but does have the beginnings of osteomyelitis.

Answer: If you have no other information as to the cause of the toe ulcer and it is the focus of care, then you should code for the toe ulcer as primary with 707.15 (Ulcer of other part of foot;-toes).

If, instead, the ulcer is caused by arterial problems, then you would code for it with 440.23 (Atherosclerosis of the extremities with ulceration) followed by 707.15.

And if the ulcer is related to venous stasis, report 459.81 (Venous [peripheral] insufficiency, unspecified) and 707.15.

Code for osteomyelitis with a code from the 730.X (Osteomyelitis, periostitis, and other infections involving bone) category.

You'll notice that we didn't list any V codes for this patient, so it's not necessary to complete M0246. Place the primary focus of care (the ulcer or the underlying cause of the ulcer, as the case may be) in M0230 and then sequence the other diagnoses in M0240.