Medical Billing Forum

Coding => Coding => : ngreco82 February 18, 2016, 06:36:00 PM

: Coding HPV
: ngreco82 February 18, 2016, 06:36:00 PM
I need some help understanding the difference between some ICD 10 codes for HPV. Can anyone explain exactly what B97.7 (Papillomavirus as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere) is? What is the difference between A63.0 (anogenital warts due to HPV) and B97.7? Also when I look at A63 it says it excludes papilloma of cervix (D26.0 other benign neoplasms of uterus). I am getting confused between these 3 codes and when to use them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
: Re: Coding HPV
: Michele February 19, 2016, 11:10:39 AM
I'm sorry but I'm not a certified coder and that is a very specific in depth coding question so I'm not comfortable answering.  I found the following that may be helpful:  http://www.hcpro.com/HIM-241876-3288/Human-Papillomavirus-HPV.html


: Re: Coding HPV
: RichardP February 19, 2016, 05:26:35 PM
It helps to consider that there is a distinction between general and specific.

A general practitioner sees a cancer, or a heart condition, or a vaginal problem, or a pregnancy - and he is going to use a very general code to indicate these types of conditions.

On the other hand, an oncologist will use very specific codes for the cancer; a heart specialist will use very specific codes for the heart condition; and a gynocologist will use very specific codes for the vaginal problem or pregnancy.

The ICD-10 code set must contain general codes that the general practitioner can use and very specific codes that the specialist can use.

But - there are two further conditions that must be covered:

 - other things (fill in the blank) not elsewhere classified
   for example, a sexually transmitted disease not elsewhere classified (A63) - or

 - this thing (fill in the blank) as the cause of diseases elsewhere classified.;
   perhaps the patient has this thing, but not any of the diseases elsewhere classified (B97.7).

   Or - if the patient has this thing and a disease elsewhere classified that is caused by
   this thing, you would code for both.

The human condition is pretty complicated, and the code set does a good job of covering many things that can happen to the human condition.  But, there need to be - and are as just shown - codes that can be used to cover unique situations where more specific codes do not yet exist.

If you can approach the code set from all of the perspectives laid out here (and any perspectives that I have left out), you should begin to see which codes are appropriate for your providers' and patients' circumstances and which are not.

Your provider is expected to know this information.  If you are not a certified coder, you are not expected to know it.  But it will help you in your billing endeavor if you do get to know this - at least  for the areas in which your providers operate.