Wiki Inflammed skin tag question

[CindyWeaver]

If a provider documents that he removed an inflammed skin tag, wouldn't I need to add L08.9 after the L91.8, so that the "inflammed" portion is captured? In billing a 11200, the L91.8 is not always covered by insurance. Insurance will tend to state that the skin tag removal is just for cosmetic reasons and not covered...However, an inflammed skin tag would be covered by insurance. So to capture this element I would think that I would need to add the L08.9. Insight on this is needed... Thoughts anyone?

 

[Pam Warren]

Inflammation is not the same thing as infection. They can occur together, but don't code the infection unless the provider specifically documents so. In running this through the encoder though, skin tag (infected or not) codes out to L91.8. If you add L08.9, you're also going to be expected to identify the infectious agent...so this is a bad idea all the way around.