AHA CODING CLINIC
Volume 5 – Number 4 Fourth Quarter 2018
Updates
Body Mass Index
Question:
Is there a list of diagnosis codes that are associated with the body mass index (BMI) measurement codes? Can BMI codes be assigned without a corresponding documented diagnosis of overweight, obesity or morbid obesity from the provider?
Answer:
No, the provider must provide documentation of a clinical condition, such as overweight, obesity or morbid obesity, to justify reporting a code for the body mass index. As stated in the
Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, Section I.B.14, the associated diagnosis (such as overweight or obesity) must be documented by the patient’s provider. If the linkage between the BMI and a clinical condition is not clearly documented, query the provider for clarification. ICD-10-CM does not provide definitions or a list of diagnosis codes associated with BMI.