Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: Which code should we report for subjective memory loss without a confirmed cause (for instance, the patient does not have Alzheimer's disease)? Our carrier rejected 780.9.

Virginia Subscriber
 
Answer: Although insurers used to recommend 780.9 (Other general symptoms) as the appropriate memory loss code, ICD-9 2003 started requiring practices to add a fifth digit to claims in this category. And ICD-9 2004 further specified memory loss and introduced 780.93 (Memory loss) for this diagnosis. Therefore, if the patient has no other conditions, you should report 780.93.

If organic brain damage caused your patient's memory loss, report 310.9 (Unspecified nonpsychotic mental disorder following organic brain damage). You should code senility degeneration of the brain as 331.2.