Turkey Day Billing Codes

With the full launch of the Ask a Medical Biller.com website and Thanksgiving just around the corner, it made me think what I am thankful for.  First and foremost my family and friends who have supported me while I strive to branch out into this whole new world of medical billing.  Second are all my co-workers who made the WE Bill e-software program the first browser based medical billing software platform in the world.    Last are all of you who work every day in medical billing and love or hate it, make the profession what it is today.  With that last part said, I decided that it would be great fun to mirror the major holidays or events with medical billing codes that would help to educate others in what we do.  For the first part in this series I wanted to write and present about Thanksgiving and the medical perils that could be associated with this most fun event.

For this series, we are going to review 4 classes of codes that deal with Thanksgiving mishaps:

1. Intestinal diseases caused by Salmonella
2. Intestinal diseases caused by microorganisms other than Salmonella
3. Choking events caused by turkey bones
4. Burns caused by Turkey Frying

Code Block 1: Intestinal diseases – Salmonella

These codes are used when turkey is under cooked and thus allows the proliferation of salmonella and for the unfortunate victim to get very sick.

Other salmonella infections

Incl.:

infection or foodborne intoxication due to any Salmonella species other than S. typhi and S. paratyphi

A02.0Salmonella enteritis

Salmonellosis

A02.1Salmonella sepsis

A02.2Localized salmonella infections

Salmonella:

• arthritis+ (M01.3*)
• meningitis+ (G01*)
• osteomyelitis+ (M90.2*)
• pneumonia+ (J17.0*)
• renal tubulo-interstitial disease+ (N16.0*)

A02.8Other specified salmonella infections

A02.9Salmonella infection, unspecified

Code Block 2: Intestinal Diseases – Everything else

Let’s face it, bacteria are everywhere, especially in our food.  But when food is under cooked, food is left out for too long, or food is contaminated, food posining can result.  These codes deal with those types of events.

Other bacterial foodborne intoxications, not elsewhere classified

Excl.:

Escherichia coli infection (A04.0-A04.4)

listeriosis (A32.-)

salmonella foodborne intoxication and infection (A02.-)

toxic effect of noxious foodstuffs (T61-T62)

A05.0Foodborne staphylococcal intoxication

A05.1Botulism

Classical foodborne intoxication due to Clostridium botulinum

A05.2Foodborne Clostridium perfringens [Clostridium welchii] intoxication

Enteritis necroticans

Pig-bel

A05.3Foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus intoxication

A05.4Foodborne Bacillus cereus intoxication

A05.8Other specified bacterial foodborne intoxications

A05.9Bacterial foodborne intoxication, unspecified

Code Block 3: Choking caused by turkey bones

Inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract

Incl.:

aspiration and inhalation of food [any] (into respiratory tract) NOS

obstruction of pharynx by food (bolus)

Excl.:

inhalation of vomitus (W78)

injury, except asphyxia or obstruction of respiratory tract, caused by food (W44)

obstruction of oesophagus by food without mention of asphyxia or obstruction of respiratory tract (W44)

Code Block 4: Burns from the turkey fryer

Burns and corrosions
(T20-T32)

Incl.:

burns (thermal) from:

• electrical heating appliances
• electricity
• flame
• friction
• hot air and hot gases
• hot objects
• lightning
• radiation

chemical burns [corrosions] (external)(internal)

scalds

Excl.:

erythema [dermatitis] ab igne (L59.0)

radiation-related disorders of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L55-L59)

sunburn (L55.-)

Burns and corrosions of external body surface, specified by site
(T20-T25)

Incl.:

burns and corrosions of:

• first degree [erythema]
• second degree [blisters] [epidermal loss]
• third degree [deep necrosis of underlying tissue] [full-thickness skin loss]

In closing, as you know, medical billing encompasses a large portion of our lives behind the scenes of medical care.  We are here to make sure the providers are paid for services rendered when medical accidents strike.

All codes were found on the ICD-10 code reference website, found here:http://apps.who.int/classifications/icd10/browse/2010/en