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Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

Reader Question:

V67.00 Accurately Describes Follow-Up After Surgery

Published on Wed Jul 25, 2012

Question: If a patient receives treatment and the condition was resolved, which ICD-9 code should I report if the patient returns in six months for a follow-up visit?South Carolina SubscriberAnswer: The most accurate way to code visits to follow up on treatment for a previous condition is to report a V code as the primary diagnosis, with the condition that the ophthalmologist is following up on as the secondary diagnosis. You can find the follow-up V codes in the V67.x series in the ICD-9 manual. Although none specifically mention eye treatments, these are some examples of V codes that might be applicable:V67.00 -- Follow-up examination; following surgery, unspecifiedV67.59 -- ... following other treatment; otherV67.6 -- ... following combined treatmentV67.9 -- ... unspecified follow-up examination.Beware: There is a false belief that many payers won't accept a V code as a primary diagnosis that proves medical necessity. This is simply not true and it is not [...]
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