Coding guides
Learn the rules behind the cases
Short guides to the ICD-10-CM decisions that show up in outpatient charts. Each guide links to practice cases that use the rule.
How to Sequence ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes
A step-by-step method for ordering outpatient diagnosis codes: report the condition that drove the visit first, then the conditions that affected care.
3 min read
First-Listed Diagnosis: The Outpatient Rule and Common Mistakes
What first-listed means in outpatient coding, how it differs from principal diagnosis, and the ordering mistakes that cost accuracy.
3 min read
ICD-10-CM Specificity: When an Unspecified Code Is Correct
How to code to the highest supported specificity, when an unspecified code is the right answer, and how to check that a code is complete.
2 min read
Combination Codes: One Code That Says It All
What ICD-10-CM combination codes are, when a single code replaces two or more diagnoses, and when an additional code is still required.
2 min read
Symptoms or Diagnosis? What to Code When the Chart Is Unclear
When symptom codes are the right choice, when a confirmed diagnosis replaces the symptom, and how uncertainty changes what you report.
2 min read
How to Practice ICD-10-CM Coding From Charts
A repeatable practice routine that builds real coding judgment: read the note, find the encounter purpose, verify every code, then sequence.
2 min read
Coding Hypertension with Heart Disease and CKD: I10, I11, I12, I13
A code table and rules for choosing I10, I11, I12, or I13 when hypertension appears with heart disease or CKD, and which I50 and N18 codes must follow.
3 min read
Type 2 Diabetes Coding with Insulin and Oral Medications: E11 and Z79
How to code type 2 diabetes in ICD-10-CM: pick the right E11 combination code, then add Z79.4, Z79.84, or Z79.85 for long-term medication use.
2 min read
Coding a Routine Physical: Z00.00 vs Z00.01 and Screening Codes
When to report Z00.00 or Z00.01 for an annual adult exam, what counts as an abnormal finding, and how screening Z codes fit alongside the exam code.
4 min read
ICD-10 Codes for Pre-Op Clearance: How to Use Z01.81-
How to code a preoperative evaluation: Z01.81- first, the reason for the surgery next, then any findings and conditions that affected the clearance.
2 min read
ICD-10-CM Laterality: Right, Left, Bilateral, and Unspecified
How ICD-10-CM laterality works: when to use right, left, or bilateral codes, when separate side codes apply, and why unspecified side should be rare.
2 min read
Z79 Codes for Long-Term Drug Therapy: When and How to Use Them
When to add a Z79 long-term (current) drug therapy code, which drugs it covers, when it is not used, and how it pairs with the condition code.
2 min read
Z01.818 vs Z01.810: Pre-Op Clearance Codes Compared
How to choose among Z01.810, Z01.811, Z01.812, and Z01.818 for a preoperative examination, and what the Tabular List says each code covers.
3 min read