Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: Should I use 036.019- for every RH negative mother or just the ones who have proven to develop an antibody against the current fetus or fetus’s blood?

Washington Subscriber

Answer: You should report O36.019- (Maternal care for anti-D Rh antibodies, unspecified trimester) for only the mothers who have developed the antibody.

If are giving Rho(D) to prevent this from this happening, you should use Z29.13 (Encounter for prophylactic Rho(D) immune globulin).

If you are simply seeing a patient who is RH negative and no care is being done toward this status at the time of service, you would not report any diagnosis for this status.

If the provider is monitoring the patient by doing blood work, you could report O99.89 (Other specified diseases and conditions complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium) until you know she has developed the antibodies