Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Always sequence codes from Chapter 15 first.

Last month, you learned about the new ICD-10-CM codes coming to your ob-gyn practice, but you also needs to take into account the new Chapter 15, s. ICD-10-CM guideline change. This change has to do with COVID-19 pandemic.

If your ob-gyn sees a patient during pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium timeframe and the reason for the encounter is COVID-19, here’s what you should do:

• Report O98.5 (Other viral diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium) first as the principle/first-listed diagnosis.
• Report U07.1 (COVID-19) and the appropriate codes for associate manifestation(s) as additional diagnoses.

You should always sequence codes from Chapter 15 first.

On the other hand, if the patient tests positive for COVID-19 during an admission/encounter for a reason unrelated to pregnancy, then you should report “the appropriate code for the reason for admission/encounter” as the “principal, first-listed” diagnosis. Then you’ll report codes O98.5- and U07.1, as well as the appropriate codes for associated COVID-19 manifestations, as additional diagnoses.