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ICD 10 Coding Alert

ICD-10-PCS:

To Build Your ICD-10-PCS Code, You Must Identify the Root Operation

Published on Mon May 07, 2012

Hint: If your doc performs two root operations, report two PCS codes.When you build a PCS code from the "0" section (the largest one), you must first identify the body system -- but your second step is to choose the root operation. This will be the third character of your PCS code, but be aware: your selection can be tricky, because you need to distinguish between similar root operation attributes. Remember: A PCS code consists of seven characters -- and will always include seven characters, unlike ICD-10-CM. Here is a break down of what each character means:Editor's Note: To start at the beginning, refer to The ICD-10 Coding Alert, Volume 2, Number 3 article entitled, "ICD-10-PCS: Step 1 to Coding Section '0' ICD-10-PCS? Identify the Body System." That will help you choose your second character.Take a Broad Overview of 3rd CharacterYou will find 31 root operations in the medical and surgical section, [...]
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