Global Ob Coding Checklist: More for Twin Deliveries?

Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by Editor in Toolkit

Use your ICD-9 codes properly, and you give your OB global package claims some solid footing.

The following tips, provided by Laura Knight, CPC, project coordinator of medical services administration at Good Samaritan Community Healthcare in Puyallup, Wash., will ensure your global ob package success every time.

Put These ICD-9 Tips to Good Use

Item 1: Make sure you choose all ICD-9 selections for ob billing from the 640-677 range of ICD-9 diagnoses.

The OB specialty coding conference that ALWAYS DELIVERS. More details here.

Item 2: Always code to the highest specificity when you need to add a fifth digit to denote the episode of care (such as for complications mainly related to pregnancy, 651-659):

• unspecified = 0

• delivered, with or without mention of antepartum condition = 1

• delivered, with mention of postpartum complication = 2

• antepartum condition or complication = 3

• postpartum condition or complication = 4.

Item 3: Remember that ICD-9 selection in the 646.x (Other complications of pregnancy, not elsewhere classified) or 648.x (Other current conditions in the mother …) diagnosis categories requires additional codes to further specify the complication, says Karla Lee-Graves, practice administrator for Azalea City Physicians for Women in Alabama. For example, you’ll need to further specify 648.0x (Diabetes mellitus) using a code selected from the 250.xx series (Diabetes mellitus), Graves says.

Item 4: If possible, use the outcome codes for the delivery (V27.0-V27.9).

Keep This Twin Delivery Guidance Handy

Item 5: Don’t miss out on extra reimbursement for twins. Here’s how to report three types of twin deliveries:

• Both vaginally: If your ob-gyn delivers both babies vaginally, you should report 59400 (Routine obstetric care including antepartum care, vaginal...

Tags: 59400, 59409, 59510, 640, 646, 651, 659, 677, c-section, global OB, twin delieveries, V27.0, V27.9