COVID-19 coding Q&As
June 8, 2022 | Audrey Howard, Sue Belley
Various ICD-10-CM/PCS and CPT® codes may be used to report hospital services for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Here are a few Q&As from our 3M experts Sue Belley and Audrey Howard on appropriate coding for COVID-19 laboratory testing, comorbidities and treatments.
Reporting suspected and confirmed cases
Q: A patient is admitted for appendicitis and tests positive for COVID-19 on admission. The patient is asymptomatic. Can COVID-19 be assigned as a secondary diagnosis without documentation from the physician of COVID-19?
For the answer to this question and more, read the full article published in JustCoding.
Sue Belley, M.Ed., RHIA, CPHQ, is the manager of clinical content development and the manager of outsource services within the Consulting Services business of 3M Health Information Systems.
Audrey Howard, RHIA, is a senior outsource services consultant with 3M Health Information Systems.