ICD 10 Coding Alert

Here's how you should report conditions both acute and chronic. You may be operating under the assumption that ICD-9 codes will always multiply into more specific options, and that's why the ICD-10-CM manual is so big. However, that isn't always the case. Conditions requiring two or more ICD-9 codes right now might be simplified into a single ICD-10 option in 2013. Best bet: To determine whether you should report multiple codes or a single ICD-10- CM code, you need to read your coding guidelines. Keep an eye out for phrases like "use additional code" or "code first." Capture Single Condition With Multiple Codes True, you may find that a patient requires multiple ICD-10 codes to fully qualify the condition he or she has. "Use additional code:" When you're searching the Tabular List, you'll find "use additional code" notes in situations where you should use a secondary code to fully describe [...]