Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Think you're getting a more specific code in ICD-10? Think again. If you're scratching your head when your physician documents "endometrial thickening," you're not alone. Tackle this common scenario, avoid this major pitfall, and you'll be applying the correct diagnosis every time. Scenario: Your ob-gyn suspects hyperplasia. He detects and documents "endometrial thickening" during an ultrasound examination. What diagnosis should you report? Steer Clear of Making This Hyperplasia Mistake Just because your ob-gyn documents endometrial thickening does not mean the patient has endometrial hyperplasia (621.30, Endometrial hyperplasia, unspecified; or 621.31, Simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia). Many coders make this mistake. ICD-10: When you report hyperplasia in 2013, you'll use the straight forward equivalents N8500 (Endometrial hyperplasia, unspecified) and N8501 (Simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia). "You should not code this as hyperplasia because physicians don't [necessarily] consider the thickening of the uterus 'abnormal;' in fact, it's just a monthly 'ramp up' for [...]