Primary Care Coding Alert

Coding insulin and hypoglycemics together is trickier than you think.

All type 1 diabetics, and many type 2 diabetics, have to control their condition with long-term drug use. For type 1 sufferers, that means a lifetime taking insulin, while type 2 sufferers have several different drugs they might use. Some type 2 patients may even be able to control the condition through lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise and not have to use drugs at all.

Such therapeutic drug use has important coding implications. That means it’s a good idea to make sure you are thoroughly familiar with all the codes and guidelines that come into play whenever your diabetic patients see your provider to monitor control of their condition. So, here are four questions designed to help you perfect your diabetes drug coding skills.

Question 1: According to ICD-10 instructions, which form of diabetes does not require you to use an additional code to identify long-term drug use to identify control and why?

Question 2: How does ICD-10 define long-term drug use, and at what point during a diabetic patient’s long-term drug regimen do you document that the drug use is long-term?

Question 3: What are the two main drug types used to control type 2 diabetes, and how are they coded?

Question 4: How do you document insulin use in combination with the other drug types used to control type 2 diabetes?

Think you know the answers? Click here to know the Answers.