Donna Garrett asked:
"Pt being seen for follow-up on STEMI involving the . . . (I21.21) for which he was hospitalized two weeks ago." My question is about the follow-up visit. Obviously the patient is being seen in the doctors office; not in the hospital. Seems like there should be a followup care code. Alpha Followup sent me to Examination. Found Examination (for)(following)(of) (routine) Z00.00.but none of the descriptions under Z00.00 are the apprpriate code for this encounter. I found no code such as Examination following MI. I looked under Encounter which sent me to Aftercare; found Z51.89 Encounter for other specified aftercare.
The answer on page 468 does not address the Follow-up. It only gives an answer as I21.21. My question is; should not there be a code for this followup visit? If yes; then how do I find it. If no; then I do not understand why "no.".
Thanks DonnaG
Answer:
Hi Donna;
Good evening; I wanted to thank you for your question. I can see your understanding; however; since the MI occurred within the four week period; you would not assign the aftercare code. Per the coding guidelines; "for encounters occurring while the myocardial infarction is equal to; or less than; four weeks old; including transfers to another acute setting or a post-acute setting; and the myocardial infarction meets the definition for "other diagnoses" (see Section III; Reporting Additional Diagnoses); codes from category I21 may continue to be reported. For encounters after ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2017 Page 47 of 114 the 4 week time frame and the patient is still receiving care related to the myocardial infarction; the appropriate aftercare code should be assigned; rather than a code from category I21. For old or healed myocardial infarctions not requiring further care; code I25.2; Old myocardial infarction; may be assigned."
"Pt being seen for follow-up on STEMI involving the . . . (I21.21) for which he was hospitalized two weeks ago." My question is about the follow-up visit. Obviously the patient is being seen in the doctors office; not in the hospital. Seems like there should be a followup care code. Alpha Followup sent me to Examination. Found Examination (for)(following)(of) (routine) Z00.00.but none of the descriptions under Z00.00 are the apprpriate code for this encounter. I found no code such as Examination following MI. I looked under Encounter which sent me to Aftercare; found Z51.89 Encounter for other specified aftercare.
The answer on page 468 does not address the Follow-up. It only gives an answer as I21.21. My question is; should not there be a code for this followup visit? If yes; then how do I find it. If no; then I do not understand why "no.".
Thanks DonnaG
Answer:
Hi Donna;
Good evening; I wanted to thank you for your question. I can see your understanding; however; since the MI occurred within the four week period; you would not assign the aftercare code. Per the coding guidelines; "for encounters occurring while the myocardial infarction is equal to; or less than; four weeks old; including transfers to another acute setting or a post-acute setting; and the myocardial infarction meets the definition for "other diagnoses" (see Section III; Reporting Additional Diagnoses); codes from category I21 may continue to be reported. For encounters after ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting FY 2017 Page 47 of 114 the 4 week time frame and the patient is still receiving care related to the myocardial infarction; the appropriate aftercare code should be assigned; rather than a code from category I21. For old or healed myocardial infarctions not requiring further care; code I25.2; Old myocardial infarction; may be assigned."
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