Quickly Find The Right V Code
Don't end your search with 'Aftercare.'
Hunting for V codes in the alphabetic index of your ICD-9 manual can be frustrating. They're tucked away under a wide variety of terms. To help shorten your search, Charlotte Lefert, RHIA, an independent health information management consultant based in Madison, WI, and coding strategy facilitator of the LTC Community of Practice for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), suggests keeping this handy list of main reference terms nearby.
Absence (of) |
Examination |
Problem |
Admission for |
Exposure (to) |
Prophylactic |
Aftercare |
Fitting (of) |
Rehabilitation |
Attention to |
Follow-up |
Replacement |
Care (of) |
Health/Healthy |
Resistance (to) |
Carrier (suspected) of |
History (of) |
Screening |
Checking/Checkup |
Long-term |
Status (post) |
Contact |
Maintenance |
Supervision (of) |
Contraception |
Non-compliance |
Test |
Convalescence |
Observation |
Therapy |
Dialysis |
Positive |
Transplant |
Donor |
Post-op |
Vaccination |
Encounter (for) |
|
|
Know These V Code Basics
In long-term care facilities, you may list V codes as the principal (first listed) diagnosis, as is often the case for aftercare and rehabilitative therapy, Lefert says. You can also report V codes as additional diagnoses to identify the services your facility provides following an acute care episode or significant past health histories. The V Code Table in the ICD-9-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting provides guidance for listing these.
© SNF ICD-9 Alert
|
