Pulmonology Coding Alert

Here's why listing V codes may be OK -- but watch your documentation. If you fear a denial every time you choose an ICD-9 code for a "normal" study, you're in luck with pre-op evaluations. Make Pre-Op Diagnosis as Easy as 1-2-3 Rule: Medicare's guidelines for coding pre-op exams include: 1. Report the pre-op V code first. "The ICD-9 code that appears in the line item of a preoperative examination or diagnostic test must be the code for the appropriate preoperative examination (namely, V72.81 through V72.83)," according to CMS transmittal 1719, (www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R1719B3.pdf). Most insurers treat with caution the unspecified pre-op exam code (V72.84). 2. Include the diagnosis that prompted surgery along with the condition that prompted the pre-op evaluation (for instance, the condition that increases the patient's surgical risk), if any. 3. Follow these with other diagnoses and conditions affecting the patient. Benefit: The transmittal states that preoperative diagnostic tests [...]