Saturday, September 7, 2013

Normal foreskin to be coded as an abnormal - and billable - condition

ICD10data.com

How to make a disesease - and a "cure"


by Hugh Young

A forthcoming diagnostic code proposes to make a normal baby's foreskin a "disorder" and its treatment - circumcision - billable.

When a boy is born, his foreskin has usually not separated from his glans (head), and it commonly takes several years to separate, sometimes not until puberty.

ICD10Data.com

Home > 2013 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes > Diseases of the genitourinary system N00-N99 > Diseases of male genital organs N40-N53 > Disorders of prepuce N47-
> 2013 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code N47.0
Adherent prepuce, newborn
  • N47.0 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code that can be used to specify a diagnosis.    
  • ICD-9-CM will be replaced by ICD-10-CM beginning October 1, 2014, therefore, N47.0 and all other ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes should only be used for training or planning purposes until then.
ICD-10-CM N47.0 is part of Diagnostic Related Group(s) (MS-DRG v28.0):
  • 727 Inflammation of the male reproductive system with mcc    
  • 728 Inflammation of the male reproductive system without mcc    
  • 795 Normal newborn
 
 
Convert ICD-10-CM N47.0 to ICD-9-CM
The following ICD-10-CM Index entries contain back-references to ICD-10-CM N47.0:
  • Adherent - see also Adhesions    
  • prepuce, newborn N47.0

This seems to be an attempt to implement (by stealth?) the AAP Task Force on Circumcision's recommendation that non-therapeutic infant circumcision should regain Medicaid coverage, to stem the decline in unnecessary circumcisions.

2 comments:

  1. Hugh, this is outrageous. I read your post earlier this evening and can't get it out of my mind. Is this done or under consideration? I just cannot believe this would go forward with no objection. Suddenly, millions of baby boys are going to be born "diseased." I am not sure who to protest this to.

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  2. Get this information out there ! Contact DOC, IntactAmerica, WHO, medical organizations overseas, and see if there can be media coverage as well. We need to get this information spread and a mass petition against it. Say what you will about circumcision but this is a call in direct opposition to anatomical knowledge - knowledge that is still with is widely known of in locales that do not circumcise. If this information is spread it will not get passed. This has a far greater implication than circumcision it's about how massive organizations can get away with lies that affect our health - the WHO should be punished.

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