AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS - 2019 Issue 1; Ask the Editor

Asthma, Emphysema and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

A patient with emphysema presents due to asthma and COPD. When you reference asthma with COPD, the Index refers coding professionals to code J44.9, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, unspecified.  However, COPD with emphysema is coded to J43.9, Emphysema, unspecified, per Coding Clinic Fourth Quarter 2017. Category J44, Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, includes asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so we feel this code is a better reflection of the patient’s diagnosis. However, there is an Excludes1 note at J44 that prohibits the reporting of code J44.9 with J43.9. How should we report asthma in a patient with COPD and emphysema? ...

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