tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2004 Issue 7

Reader Question: Avoid Confusing NOS and NEC

Question: What do "NEC" and "NOS" mean in diagnosis coding? How should I choose between them?Florida Subscriber Answer: ICD-9 uses the abbreviations NEC and NOS to denote diagnoses "not elsewhere classified" and "not otherwise specified." NEC is equivalent to using an "other" code selection, and NOS is equivalent to using an "unspecified" code selection.Think of NEC as a lack of specificity in ICD-9. Your surgeon provides specific findings, but ICD-9 does not list a specific code that describes the diagnosis. On the other hand, consider NOS the fault of insufficient documentation, which does not provide enough...

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