Wiki am I right in how I compare the respective importance of ICD and CPT?

[The Angel Of the South]

I just wanted to see if my thinking is right on this. In the sense that there can't be a procedure without a diagnosis, CPT and ICD are equally important. But CPT is procedures, and procedures are what make the money for the practice or facility. In only that sense, CPT is more "important" than ICD. I realized this after I observed that in all the practice tests I have seen, the CPT questions outnumber the ICD.

 

[AmandaBriggs]

They are equally important. You can't report a CPT code without an ICD-10 code. CPT describes what was done and the ICD-10 codes describes why and supports the medical necessity of the procedure. You are correct in that the CPT code drives the reimbursement for the facility, but claims are denied all the time for the ICD-10 code not supporting the medical necessity of the procedure reported, especially if there are payer policies and/or LCDs or NCDs that lay out what the covered diagnoses are for the procedure.