Diabetic Foot Exams
In ICD-10-CM, chapter 4, "Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E89)," includes a separate subchapter (block), Diabetes mellitus E08-E13, with the categories:
Suggest further assessments and investigations to the examiner:
Diabetic foot abnormalities, including ulcers and lower-extremity amputations, are associated with substantial morbidity, loss of quality of life, and disability and are very costly for the individuals affected, their families, and society as a whole ( 2 ).
Z00-Z99 Factors influencing health status and contact with health services Z00-Z13 Persons encountering health services for examinations Z04- Encounter for examination and observation for other reasons Encounter for examination and observation for other specified reasons Z04.8 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. Short description: Encounter for examination and observation for oth reasons The 2018 edition of ICD-10-CM Z04.8 became effective on October 1, 2017. This is the American ICD-10-CM version of Z04.8 - other international versions of ICD-10 Z04.8 may differ. Encounter for examination and observation for request for expert evidence The following code (s) above Z04.8 contain annotation back-references In this context, annotation back-references refer to codes that contain: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services Z codes represent reasons for encounters. A corresponding procedure code must accompany a Z code if a procedure is performed. Categories Z00-Z99 are provided for occasions when circumstances other than a disease, injury or external cause classifiable to categories A00 -Y89 are recorded as 'diagnoses' or 'problems'. This can arise in two main ways: (a) When a person who may or may not be sick encounters the health services for some specific purpose, such as to receive limited care or service for a current condition, to donate an organ or tissue, to receive prophylactic vaccination (immunization), or to discuss a problem which is in itself not a disease or injury. (b) When some circumstance or problem is present which influences the person's health status but is not in itself a current illness or injury. Factors influencing health status and contact with health se Continue reading >>
ICD-10 codes that start with L97- are used for non-pressure chronic ulcers of the lower limb. These codes are used for diabetic foot ulcers, stasis ulcers, and others. Since the onset of ICD-10, there were only five 6th character options for these L97- codes. These were: These did not leave the option to indicate with our codes that an ulcer had muscle exposed without necrosis of muscle or bone exposed without necrosis of bone. The APWCA worked with the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders to write to the World Health Organization (WHO) and explain this gap in code options and request that more options be created that would allow us to code these scenarios accurately. Our efforts have been recognized! The WHO has announced new 6th character options that can be used with all L97- codes. These go into effect October 1, 2017. The following 6th character options are being added: 5 with muscle involvement without evidence of necrosis 6 with bone involvement without evidence of necrosis These new 6th characters of 5 and 6 allow the option to indicate the ulcer is to the depth of muscle or bone without necrosis at that depth. The new 6th character of 8 should be used if the severity of the ulcer is specified in the documentation, but none of the 6th character options of 1-6 are appropriate. These new 6th characters can be used with any code that begins with L97-. Note: Any ICD-10 code listed above that ends with a - is not complete and requires more characters to complete the code. Nothing discussed in this communication guarantees coverage or payment. The existence of an ICD-10 code does not ensure payment if it used. Coverage and payment policies of governmental and private payers may vary from time to time and in different parts of the country. Questions regarding coverage Continue reading >>
For treatment of mycotic nails, or onychogryphosis, or onychauxis (codes 11719, 11720, 11721 and G0127), in the absence of a systemic condition or where the patient has evidence of neuropathy, but no vascular impairment, for which class findings modifiers are not required, ICD-10 CM code B35.1, L60.2 or L60.3 respectively, must be reported as primary, with the diagnosis representing the patient’s symptom reported as the secondary ICD-10-CM code. Refer to the “Indications and Limitations of Coverage and/or Medical Necessity” section of the related LCD.
The treatment of warts (including plantar warts) on the foot is covered to the same extent as services provided for the treatment of warts located elsewhere on the body.