All ICD9-Cm Codes must be supported by: A. Nonessential modifiers. B. physician documentation in the medical record. C. V codes. D. another diagnostic code.
To find the correct answer to this question, we need to understand what ICD-9-CM codes are and how they are supported.
ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification) codes are used to classify and code diagnoses and procedures in healthcare settings. They are alphanumeric codes that represent different diseases, conditions, injuries, and procedures.
Now let's evaluate each answer option:
A. Nonessential modifiers: Nonessential modifiers are additional descriptive terms used to provide more specific information about a diagnosis or condition. While they can provide additional details, they are not required for ICD-9-CM coding.
B. Physician documentation in the medical record: The accuracy of ICD-9-CM coding relies heavily on the documentation provided by physicians in the medical record. Coders use this documentation to assign the appropriate diagnosis code. Therefore, this option is a plausible answer.
C. V codes: V codes in ICD-9-CM are used as supplementary codes and represent encounters for reasons other than illness or injury. While they can be used in conjunction with primary diagnosis codes, they are not mandatory for all ICD-9-CM codes.
D. Another diagnostic code: While it is common to assign multiple diagnosis codes for a patient, ICD-9-CM codes can exist independently without being supported by another diagnostic code. Therefore, this option is not a requirement for all ICD-9-CM codes.
Based on the above analysis, the correct answer is B. Physician documentation in the medical record. ICD-9-CM codes must be supported by accurate and detailed documentation provided by physicians in the medical record. The coder uses this information to assign the appropriate diagnosis code.