Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: I need help locating the ICD-10-CM codes for use of high-risk medication during pregnancy. What should I report?

Massachusetts Subscriber

Answer: Since the drug the physician is monitoring is impacting the pregnancy, you would use a supervision of high-risk code for your primary diagnosis and a Z code to indicate which medication (if listed) as your secondary code.

Look to O09.89- (Supervision of other high risk pregnancies) as your primary. You will need a 6^th character to indicate the pregnancy’s trimester or whether the trimester is unspecified. Code O35.5- (Maternal care for (suspected) damage to fetus by drugs) is also an option, but most payers think this means drug addiction.

For the Z code, if no other entry specifically states the medication you are looking for, try the “generic” code of Z79.899 (Other long term (current) drug therapy).

Suzanne Burmeister, BA, MPhil, Medical Writer and Editor