Diagnosis coding corner: Coding the intolerant patient

Article Overview

This article discusses coding considerations for patients who may not respond as expected to standard sedation during procedures, especially in the context of anesthesia coverage policy for GI endoscopy and similar settings. It is aimed at coders and billing staff who need to understand the broad diagnosis categories and payer-facing documentation context involved when sedation tolerance, substance dependence, or related histories may be relevant. The article also references how general ICD-9-CM dependency and abuse categories are discussed in relation to these scenarios.