Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert
All Migraines Are Not the Same
Intractable vs. non-intractable can set your reimbursement success
Before coding for migraine treatment, be sure you-re using the correct diagnosis. ICD-9 includes several choices in the 346.xx (Migraine) family, with fifth-digit classifications of 0 (without mention of intractable migraine) and 1 (with intractable migraine, so stated).
-Be sure to identify if the migraine is intractable or non-intractable,- says Marianne Wink-Sturgeon, RHIT, CPC, ACS-EM, with the University of Rochester Medical Center's department of neurology. -This helps define the status and severity of the migraine.-
Example: Diagnosing a non-intractable migraine does not support the medical necessity of Botulinum injections as treatment. Some carriers, however, will approve Botulinum injections to treat an intractable migraine (346.91, Migraine, unspecified; with intractable migraine, so stated) once traditional treatments fail.
Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert
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All Migraines Are Not the Same
Intractable vs. non-intractable can set your reimbursement success
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