Many coders make the wrong ICD-9-CM choice for in-office monitoring of Coumadin use, according to an article posted on Coding News. Read what the editor says will help you support medical necessity for warfarin therapy.

1. Put Proper Code to Periodic PT Test

“Physicians often use PT [prothrombin time] to assess patient response to the drug warfarin,” says Barb Miller, MT (ASCP) SH, with Nebraska Medical Center.

When patients on warfarin therapy come to your “Coumadin clinic” for periodic testing to assess their anticoagulation status, you should report 85610 Prothrombin time for the test.

Remember the modifier: Be sure to append modifier QW (CLIA waived test) to 85610 (and that you operate with a CLIA certificate of waiver).

If the nurse needs to evaluate new symptoms such as bruising or bleeding — something beyond the basic PT visit — code 99211 Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, that may not require the presence of a physician. Usually, the presenting problem(s) are minimal. Typically, 5 minutes are spent performing or supervising these services may be appropriate also.

Remember: Medicare doesn’t consider 99363 Anticoagulant management for an outpatient taking warfarin, physician review and interpretation of International Normalized Ratio (INR) testing, patient instructions, dosage adjustment (as needed), and ordering of additional tests; initial 90 days of therapy (must include a minimum of 8 INR measurements) and 99364 Anticoagulant management for an outpatient taking warfarin, physician review and interpretation of International Normalized Ratio (INR) testing, patient instructions, dosage adjustment (as needed), and ordering of additional tests; each subsequent 90 days of therapy (must include a minimum of 3 INR measurements) to be payable codes under the physician fee schedule.

2. Pull Out V58.61 for Diagnosis

“Patients may be on anticoagulation therapy for many reasons, but you should not report the underlying condition as the primary code for the PT test,” says Peggy Slagle, CPC, billing compliance coordinator at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Do this: “If the reason for the PT test is to monitor the effectiveness of anticoagulation medication, the primary diagnosis code for the service should be V58.61 Longterm [current] use of anticoagulants,” Slagle says.

You may report the underlying reason for the warfarin therapy, such as a personal history of blood diseases (V12.3), as a secondary diagnosis.

For a complete list of payable diagnoses, see the Medicare National Coverage Determination (NCD) for PT.

3. Let Necessity Guide Frequency

Changes in the underlying medical condition or warfarin dosing determine the need for repeat PT tests, so CMS does not establish an across-the-board frequency limitation for this.

On the other hand: CMS states, “In a patient on stable warfarin therapy, it is ordinarily not necessary to repeat testing more than every two to three weeks.”

Source: Oncology Coding Alert.

14 Responses to “In-Office Coumadin Coding Made Easy”

1. Barbara OConnor Says:
   September 2nd, 2009 at 1:10 pm

   Code V58.61 is only acceptable as a secondary diagnosis, so do you bypass this rule when coding for patients who are having their anticoagulation monitored? We have had problems getting paid when V58.61 is used as a primary diagnosis code.

2. Teresa Tate Says:
   September 2nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm

   I have the same concern. According to ICD-9, V5861 is a secondary dx only. What about using V58.83 as the primary dx, V58.61 as the secondary dx and the underlying condition as the 3rd dx? Wouldn’t that be more in line with what ICD-9 expects?

   I have not had any issues with using V58.83 as the primary dx when coding for medication management…. even when it is not listed on the LCD/NCD list. I did notice that a couple of years ago, someone must have mentioned this to their medicare carrier, because Noridian ammended the LCD for ProThrombin to include V58.83. Shouldn’t they have done this across the board for all their LCD/ NCD’s that include medication management? Make sense to me.

3. Jane Durham Says:
   September 2nd, 2009 at 1:24 pm

   We put code V58.83 first then V58.61.

4. Gail Osborn Says:
   September 2nd, 2009 at 2:00 pm

   We list the V58.61 code first, then the underlying diagnosis code for why the patient is on Coumadin, if that’s all they’re being seen for; if they are being seen for at least (3) other diagnoses, then we list the V58.61 (only) in the 4th diagnosis position and link it to the 85610(QW); if only seen for 1-2 other diagnoses, then we list and link to the V58.61 but include the underlying diagnosis as well since there is room for it.

5. Pat Scott Says:
   September 2nd, 2009 at 4:07 pm

   I use the V58.83 and then V58.61, and if I know the reason for the therapy, I list that code first.

6. Stephanie Schroeder Says:
   September 3rd, 2009 at 4:59 am

   Per ICD 9 guidelines, V58.61 is a secondary diagnosis, so listing it as primary, would not be following the guidelines. I suspect it is more approriate to code first the V58.83, then V58.61 as secondary.

7. Susan Montford Says:
   September 3rd, 2009 at 6:15 am

   Per coding guidelines, V58.83 code is primary, then V68.61 is coded secondary, and any additional codes.

8. Pat Scott Says:
   September 3rd, 2009 at 9:11 am

   Is anyone having any trouble getting paid if the V codes are first?

9. Anne Karl Says:
   September 6th, 2009 at 7:20 am

   Remember that the designation of a secondary code in the V code section is for inptatient encounters. How would you code an outpatient/physician office encounter for a normal pre-natal visit if V22.0-V22.1 could not be coded as primary?

10. Cheryl Muckenfuss Says:
    September 9th, 2009 at 6:48 am

    Yes, ICD-9 guidelines direct using V58.61 as a secondary diagnosis code, but for laboratory billing that is not followed. V58.61 should be listed as the dx with CPT 85610 when performed for monitoring for coumadin therapy. This is the reason the test is being done. Refer to the CMS Prothrombin Time NCD, beginning on page 45 of the July 2009 NCDs.

11. jackie krueger Says:
    February 1st, 2010 at 9:37 am

    Our Cardiology office does not do the draws for Coumadin management. Our Doctor ONLY reviews the results and calls the patient with his/her instructions. How do we bill Medicare for this? They will not pay on the codes 99363 and 99364. Also do I need to include copies of the INR’s as we do OP Reports? Thanks in advance for your help.

12. Carol Fiorvanti Says:
    February 25th, 2010 at 1:29 pm

    Are Internal Medicine and Family Medicine two different specialties?
    Need ans ASAP

13. Diane Says:
    April 6th, 2010 at 7:44 am

    Some thoughts on this please?? For “lab” visits for 85610 to monitor Coumadin use, we use V58.61, then reason for Coumadin use as 2nd, such as having had a stroke or a pulm emblsm in the past (V12.54 or V12.51). We are having debates over this; some believe current stroke (434.91) or current pulm emblsm (415.19) codes should be used rather than hx codes, while others believe this w/b incorrect, as the pts are on Coumadin because they have had these things in the past & are trying to prevent them from reoccurring. Other input w/b appreciated, thanks!

14. Deanna Gross Says:
    July 22nd, 2010 at 5:55 am

    This seems to be a common question. Through all the documentation, the ICD-9 Coding rules do specify to use V58.61 as a secondary only but the NCDs show this as an acceptable primary with no mention of having to be secondary. The LCD Policy for 85610 does specify in the covered diagnosis that the v58.83 should be primary with V58.61 secondary. I have been searching and have been unable to find clear defined rules pertaining to this in regards to labs.

    If anyone can offer clarification, it would be greatly appreciated.

Add a Comment