Diagnosis, Treatment and Coding for Rosacea

Hello and welcome to our podcast series. My name Is Meghann Drella and I am a Senior Solutions Manager here at Outsource Strategies International. Today I will be discussing with you how to report Rosacea.

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes redness in your face.

Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels in your face. The redness can slowly spread beyond the nose and cheeks to the forehead and chin. It is often mistaken for acne, eczema, or a skin allergy, this condition may also produce small, red, pus-filled bumps. There are several signs and symptoms associated with the condition which may flare up for a period of weeks to months and then diminish for a while. Common signs and symptoms include – facial redness, swollen red bumps, visible broken blood vessels, large pores and excess facial skin around the nose.The exact causes of this condition are unknown but a number of factors can trigger symptoms. If it is left untreated,redness and swelling associated with this condition can get worse and might become permanent leading to severe complications. As there are several rules related to reporting this inflammatory skin condition, dermatology medical coding and billing can be quite complex. Dermatologists and other physicians treating this condition need to be familiar with the specific ICD-10 codes and outsourcing medical coding to an experienced service provider is a reliable strategy to ensure this.

Reports suggest that rosacea affects about 16 million people in the United States. It is estimated that 1 in 20 people are affected by this chronic skin condition. The disease most commonly affects middle-aged womenin the age group of 30 – 60 years old, who have fair skin. However, when it occurs in men, the condition tends to be severe and may eventually cause the nose to become enlarged. Fair-skinned individuals and people who blush easily seem to be more susceptible to this condition.

There are four different subtypes of rosacea – Subtype one, Subtype two, Subtype three and Subtype four.

• Subtype one – its symptoms include facial redness, flushing, and visible blood vessels
• Subtype two – often affects middle-aged women and involves acne-like breakouts
• Subtype three – is a rare form which usually affects men and causes thickening of the skin and
• Subtype four– symptoms are centered on the eye area

Each of these above subtypes involves different symptoms that vary from one person to the other.

Rosacea is diagnosed and treated. There is no specific test for diagnosing this skin condition. Physicians may begin their initial evaluation by conducting a detailed study about the patient’s medical history, check their symptoms and perform a physical examination of their skin. In some cases, physicians may conduct certain tests to rule out other conditions, such as other forms of acne, psoriasis, eczema or lupus.

Treatment modalities may include a combination of prescribed medications and oral drugs. These include topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics and steroid eye drops like blephamide and tetracyclines. The duration of your treatment depends on the type and severity of your symptoms. However, recurrence of the symptoms is very common. Laser therapy may also help reduce the redness of enlarged blood vessels.

Dermatologists and other specialists providing treatment for rosacea patients needs to be adequately reimbursed for their services. The diagnosis must be carefully documented using the appropriate medical codes.

ICD-10 Codes for Rosacea are – L71, L71.0, L71.1, L71.8 and L71.9.

Practicing or incorporating certain lifestyle changes and home remedies may help reduce the signs and symptoms of rosacea or prevent flare-ups. Protecting your skin by wearing hats and avoiding midday sun and treating your skin gently by using moisturizer can help prevent flare-up and occurrence of symptoms to a great extent as well.

I hope this helps, but always remember that documentation as well as a thorough knowledge of payer regulations and guidelines is critical to ensure accurate reimbursement for the procedures performed.

Thank You for joining me, and stay tuned for my next podcast!