Sep

08

Coding incidental versus ectopic pregnancy

By HIM Connection

Q: What does an incidental pregnancy (code V22.2) mean? Is it related at all to an ectopic pregnancy (code 633.11)? Should I report the two together?

A: Coding Clinic, fourth quarter 1996, p. 50–51, states that code V22.2 is a secondary code only for use when the pregnancy is in no way complicating the reason for the visit. Otherwise, coders should report a code from the obstetric chapter.

For routine outpatient prenatal visits when no complications are present, report codes V22.0 (supervision of normal first pregnancy) and V22.1 (supervision of other normal pregnancy) as the first-listed diagnoses. Do not report these codes in conjunction with Chapter 11 codes. For more information, see Chapter 11 (Pregnancy/Childbirth) of the ICD-9-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting that took effect October 1, 2008.

Editor’s note: Alison Stangeby, RHIA, CCS, CPC, senior consultant at BKD, LLP in Little Rock, AR, answered this question that originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies.