Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: The provider performs a level-three established patient evaluation and management (E/M) service; the notes read that the patient suffered from “facial palsy.” What is the correct ICD-10 code for this condition?

New York Subscriber

Answer: It looks like the provider used a synonym for Bell’s palsy in these notes. On your 99213 (Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, which requires at least 2 of these 3 key components: An expanded problem focused history; An expanded problem focused examination; Medical decision making of low complexity …) claim, report G51.0 (Bell’s palsy) as a diagnosis.

In ICD-10, “Facial palsy” is listed as a synonym for Bell’s palsy — at least for diagnosis coding purposes. Bell’s palsy is also sometimes known as “acute peripheral facial palsy of unknown cause,” per the Mayo Clinic.

Definition: “The symptoms of Bell’s palsy include sudden weakness in your facial muscles. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. The weakness makes half of your face appear to droop,” Mayo Clinic reports.

Be sure you don’t confuse a Bell’s palsy diagnosis with other facial nerve disorders, which include:

• G51.1 (Geniculate ganglionitis)
• G51.2 (Melkersson’s syndrome)
• G51.3- (Clonic hemifacial spasm)
• G51.4 (Facial myokymia).