Question
We have several patients whose insurance will pay for preventive hearing care. Are there specific diagnosis codes which should be used when filing these types of claims? We have been told by the carrier that our diagnosis code 388.40 is not a preventive code. I have been researching the ICD-9-CM books to find a specific code. Thanks for your help.
Answer
Yes and No. For follow-up newborn hearing screening testing, you can add the -33 modifier to the procedures performed. You can learn more about this at https://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/cpt/new-cpt-modifier-for-preventive-services.pdf. This only applies to newborn hearing screening. For adults, the only options are V72.19 (other exam of ears and hearing) or V80.3 (screening for ear diseases).
