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Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Hone Your Diagnosis Coding With This Advice

Published on Wed Oct 24, 2012

Question: Is it appropriate to include on the claim diagnosis codes for every problem a patient has? Even if the ob-gyn is just renewing prescriptions or just noting a problem that another physician follows, like hypertension or asthma?  My doctors are including everything under the sun on their well woman visits, sometimes 10 diagnostic codes.Virginia SubscriberAnswer:  If you are billing the preventive service only, additional diagnoses are not necessary. Besides, payers are not going to bother looking at them anyway.  If you are billing a preventive and problem service, pick the problem diagnoses that most clearly reflect the work done. You don't need to report a history of a condition or one currently under control " only diagnoses relating to current conditions/complaints that the ob-gyn is evaluating.
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