SIMCPC4U
Guest
Does anyone know how long one can continue to use an obesity diagnosis (278.00,278.01) AFTER a bariatric surgery has been performed? I have several doctors coding obesity 5 and 10 years post-surgery.
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Wiki Bariatric Surgery
- Thread starter SIMCPC4U
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kimberliterpstra
Networker
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Hi John,
You can continue to use that diagnosis as long as they are obese (278.00) or morbidly obese (278.01). You would need to confirm that with the patient's BMI in the record. 278.02 (overweight) can be used as well, as long as the patient's BMI reflects that.
We also use 579.3 (malabsorption) for our gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients; weight gain or loss can also be used, if documented in the record.
-Kim
You can continue to use that diagnosis as long as they are obese (278.00) or morbidly obese (278.01). You would need to confirm that with the patient's BMI in the record. 278.02 (overweight) can be used as well, as long as the patient's BMI reflects that.
We also use 579.3 (malabsorption) for our gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients; weight gain or loss can also be used, if documented in the record.
-Kim
penswhitex
Networker
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I've always used v45.86 as my primary code and have never had any trouble getting paid.
mitchellde
True Blue
You as the coder cannot code the level of obesity based on the BMI, the provider must reassess the patient's obesity status for each encounter. You cannot use malabsorption unless the provider documents this a condition and if it is due to the bypass surgery then it would be coded as a complication, weight loss would not be coded even if documented since that is the desired effect and it is not an abnormal condition or a symptom of some other condition, it is a desired effect.
The correct coding of post bypass would be a V code for follow up and V code for the bypass status, plus any documented current obesity status with current BMI