Coding cases cracked
Excerpted from page 49 of the November/December 2016 edition of AOA Focus.
AOA's experts share solutions to your coding conundrums.
Q. What do I do if a code requires a seventh character but is not six characters long? For codes that require a seventh character, but are not six characters long, you must use placeholder X to fill in empty characters.
Q. In ICD-10, what is the difference between the "Excludes1" and "Excludes2" notes? The Excludes1 notes indicate when two conditions cannot occur together (e.g., congenital versus acquired form of same condition). Excludes2 means that the excluded condition is not part of a condition represented by the code, but the patient may have both conditions at the same time.
Q. I understand there are new codes for diabetes. Does AOA have any examples of insulin and non-insulin drugs? Yes, a listing of insulin and non-insulin drugs is available at on the AOA website.
Ask the coding experts
4 coding changes now in effect
Given the importance of E/M services in patient care, it’s critical that all doctors of optometry are aware of these changes.
Jan. 1 coding changes—are you ready?
Evaluation and management (E/M) services are incredibly important in patient care, and it’s critical that optometry practices are aware of changes ahead. Meanwhile, the AOA and other leading physician organizations are pushing legislation that would halt Medicare payment cuts resulting from the changes.
Are your coding habits up to snuff? AOA HPI provides benchmark data
Time to review your practice’s billing and coding: Access national benchmark data for optometry practices and join an upcoming webinar to learn more about E/M code changes in 2021.