Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Don’t overlook this Excludes1 notation.

When a patient reports to your practice and is pregnant, but the complaint she is being seen for is documented as “incidental” to the pregnancy, you will report this code along with a code outside of the obstetric complications chapter of ICD-10-CM that signifies the complaint.

ICD-9-CM Code: Right now, you should be reporting V22.2 (Pregnancy state, incidental).

ICD-10-CM Code: In 2014, you will report Z33.1 (Pregnancy state, incidental). Good news: You have a one-to-one correlation between these codes. Both descriptors match up. You’ll simply shift from V22.2 to Z33.1 when ICD-10 implementation date hits.

Documentation: The provider must document that pregnancy is incidental in the chart note at the time of the encounter in order for you to use this code.

Here is how you will locate this code in your Alphabetic Index:

Pregnancy (childbirth) (labor) (puerperium) —see also Delivery and Puerperal

- incidental finding Z33.1

State (of)

- pregnant, incidental Z33.1

Coding tips: You will see an Excludes1 note under Z33.1 stating you should not report this code with complications of pregnancy codes (O00-O99).