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Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

READER QUESTONS:

Multiple-Gestation Dx Hinges on Oct. 1

Published on Wed Oct 05, 2005

Question: What is the correct diagnosis code for a patient who is currently 18 weeks pregnant, single gestation? She was IVF with initially a viable twin gestation but electively aborted one fetus. I know that 651.33 comes close, but I think that is for nonelective fetal demise.


Georgia Subscriber
 

Answer: Until Oct. 1, code 651.33 (Twin pregnancy with fetal loss and retention of one fetus, antepartum condition or complication) is the only code you can use. After this date, however, the correct code will be 651.73 (Multiple gestation following [elective] fetal reduction, antepartum condition or complication), even in cases that are not multiple pregnancies.

You should use 651.7x when the ob-gyn reduces a pregnancy to a singleton from a multiple gestation of any number, or the ob-gyn reduces a high-order multiple- gestation pregnancy by any number.
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