What does "coding to the highest level of specificity mean?" in Chapter 4 - Understanding Codes Forum

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What does "coding to the highest level of specificity mean?"

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torrey181	What does "coding to the highest level of specificity mean?"	Lead	[-]
Posts: 14 Sep 9 08 8:41 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Hello, I have a question. In Chapter 4 exam question #13 ICD-9 codes are how many character in length? (when coding to the highest level) I know how many character in length they are, but what does it mean when coding to the highest level? Please explain. Thanks! Last Edited By: MB Course 1 Sep 9 08 5:42 PM. Edited 1 time.
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MB Course 1	Coding to Highest Level of Specificity	#1	[-]
Posts: 1565 Sep 9 08 5:40 PM MBC Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Clinicians who must select ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes should use codes that provide the highest degree of accuracy and completeness, or the greatest specificity. That usually means providing an ICD-9-CM code carried to the 5^th digit. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) require all Medicare practitioners (as do most private payers) to use ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes with the highest specificity as requested by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Example: Using code 784.6 (symbolic dysfunction) to describe language/cognitive impairments of an organic nature may have this code rejected. Because this code category has 5^th digit subclassifications, the most appropriate subclassifications should be selected. This might be 784.60 (symbolic dysfunction, unspecified), 784.61 (alexia and dyslexia) or 784.69 (other; acalculia, agnosia, agraphia, apraxia). Tammy Harlan Medical Billing Course.com tammy@medicalbillingcourse.com
torrey181	thanks	#2	[-]
Posts: 14 Sep 9 08 11:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tammy, Thanks alot. That explained my question.

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