tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2006 Issue 7

Reader Questions: Remember the 'Digit Rule' for Asthma Diagnosis

Question: When reporting an asthma diagnosis, do I need a fifth digit?North Carolina Subscriber Answer: Yes. ICD-9 requires you to use a fifth-digit subclassification with asthma codes (493.xx). If you submit four digits for an asthma diagnosis, payers will probably reject the ICD-9 code as incomplete.  The asthma category and current state drive the Dx choice. Correct method: Assign the fourth digit based on the asthma category: - 493.0x -- Extrinsic asthma  - 493.1x -- Intrinsic asthma - 493.2x -- Chronic obstructive asthma - 493.8x -- Other forms of asthma ...

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