Question:
Illinois Subscriber
Answer:
To report a toxicity observation office visit for use of a high-risk drug, you will use different diagnostic codes for the baseline visit (before the patient starts the drug) and for the follow-up visits to monitor the effects.For the baseline visit, report an evaluation and management CPT® code and use the ICD-9 code for the condition for which the patient will take the drug -- for example, 714.0 (Rheumatoid arthritis).
If your patient had already started the medication prior to her first visit, code it as you would a follow-up visit, not a baseline visit. Again, use an E/M code for the visit itself. If the optometrist finds no ocular changes, list V58.83 (Encounter for therapeutic drug monitoring) as the primary diagnosis code and V58.69 (Long-term [current] use of other medications) as the secondary diagnosis code.
Or, if the patient has completed her course of treatment of the drug, use V67.51 (Follow-up examination; following completed treatment with high-risk medication, not elsewhere classified). List the condition for which the patient is (or was) taking the drug (e.g., 714.0) as a secondary diagnosis.
But if the patient presents with a specific complaint, and the optometrist finds ocular changes related to that complaint, list that diagnosis (for instance, 371.2x, Corneal edema) as the primary ICD-9 code.
You may also list V58.69 or V67.51 as the secondary diagnosis and the underlying condition as a third diagnosis. If the patient has no complaint, stick with the V codes as a primary diagnosis, even if the optometrist finds changes. Remember that for proper coding, the diagnosis should match with the chief complaint.