Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Hint: Look elsewhere for anemia due to iron-deficiency.

Anemia is a condition that occurs when the number of red blood cells (RBCs) and/or the amount of hemoglobin found in the red blood cells drops below normal. A low hematocrit or hemoglobin level can indicate the presence of anemia.

ICD-9-CM Code: Right now, you should report this condition with 285.9 (Anemia unspecified).

ICD-10-CM Code: When your diagnosis coding system changes in 2014, this code will become D64.9 (Anemia, unspecified). Good news: You have a one-to-one correlation between 285.9 and D64.9. These definitions remain the same, although the code itself changes in 2014.

Documentation: If the patient has anemia due to acute blood loss or chronic/unspecified blood loss, the coder should report alternate codes. Also anemia due to iron deficiency has its own code range.

Here’s how you’ll find your code in the Alphabetic Index:

Anemia (essential) (general) (hemoglobin deficiency) (infantile) (primary) (profound) D64.9

        - atypical (primary) D64.9

        - idiopathic D64.9

        - normocytic (infectional) D64.9

- postoperative (postprocedural)

               - - specified NEC D64.9

- progressive D64.9

Deficiency, deficient

        - hemoglobin D64.9

Hemoglobin —see also condition

- low NOS D64.9

Low

        - hematocrit D64.9

- hemoglobin D64.9

Oligocythemia D64.9

Coding tips: If the physician documents anemia that’s due to a reason that does not have a specific cause, then you should refer to D64.9.