Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: What diagnoses do carriers usually accept for mild cognitive impairment?

Tennessee Subscriber

Answer: Codes in the 310 or 331 series might be your best choices. Carriers often accept diagnoses such as:

- 310.8 -- Other specified nonpsychotic mental disorders following organic brain damage

- 310.9 -- Unspecified nonpsychotic mental disorder following organic brain damage

- 331.0 -- Alzheimer's disease

- 331.2 -- Senile degeneration of brain

- 331.83 -- Mild cognitive impairment, so stated.

Note: Always check the specific carrier's local coverage determination to help ensure your diagnosis coding is on track.

Medicare accepts 331.83 for mild cognitive impairment, but Blue Cross/Blue Shield prefers 780.93 (Memory loss).

Don't forget: You should never code based on what will get the claim paid. Instead, you should always report the diagnosis code most clearly documented in the physician's notes.