Patience Pays When Selecting a Neoplasm Dx

Why This Topic Matters

Accurate neoplasm diagnosis selection affects claim acceptance, documentation consistency, and how a patient’s condition is represented on the claim. The article helps coders understand the general ICD-9 resources involved in this process.

Article Sections

1. Tip 1: Don't Make a Move Without the Path Report

   Discusses the importance of waiting for pathology confirmation before assigning a neoplasm diagnosis. The section focuses on why documentation review matters before proceeding with claim coding.

2. Tip 2: Identify the Type of Neoplasm

   Explains the need to determine the broad neoplasm category from the pathology report before consulting the diagnosis code references. It introduces the general classification approach used in ICD-9.

3. Tip 3: Consult ICD-9 Vol. 2

   Describes use of the ICD-9 alphabetical index as a reference point for finding neoplasm-related diagnosis entries. The section addresses how coders navigate the index before moving to other ICD-9 resources.

4. Tip 4: Head for the Neoplasm Table

   Covers use of the ICD-9 neoplasm table when the index does not provide enough detail. The section also notes the role of the tabular list in confirming the selected diagnosis.