Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Patient welfare and medical necessity are at stake.

Maybe your lab is reporting results related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, or performing a high-risk Pap test, or running tests for a pregnant patient, or doing anything associated with an HIV or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient.

Whenever you encounter coding for HIV/AIDS patients, you'll need to accurately document the diagnosis using a complex set of ICD-10 options. Your choices may impact coverage for your lab testing, and can certainly impact the patient's medical record in ways that can have serious implications.

All the more reason, then, for you to sharpen your coding skills by answering the following three questions related to HIV/AIDS diagnosis coding.

Question 1: What is the correct code to use for a patient who has HIV?

Question 2: Once a patient has been diagnosed with HIV, what is the correct code sequence when the patient is seen for other conditions?

Question 3: What is the appropriate diagnosis code(s) for a woman who is pregnant, who is giving birth, or who has given birth, and who has been diagnosed with HIV?

Think you know the answers? Turn to "Compare Your Answers to the Experts'" to find out.