Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

'Endometrial thickening' doesn't always mean you should report these codes.If the thought of ICD-10 strikes fear, rest assured: often times, you will find simple one-to-one relationships between old and new codes. That's the case for hyperplasia -- but beware. You will still need to carry over the same coding conventions.For instance, suppose your ob-gyn suspects hyperplasia. He detects and documents "endometrial thickening" during an ultrasound examination. What diagnosis should you report?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 difference: You should remember this pitfall. That means if you encounter the same scenario in 2013, you should not necessarily report the straight forward hyperplasia equivalents N8500 (Endometrial hyperplasia, unspecified) and N8501 (Simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia). Notice how these definitions are exactly the same.Coder tips: Don't be swayed [...]