Followup Versus Aftercare Coding

Follow up codes are used to explain continuing surveillance following completed treatment of a disease, condition, or injury. They imply that the condition has been fully treated and no longer exists. They should not be confused with aftercare codes that explain current treatment for a healing condition or it's sequel.

Follow-up codes may be used in conjunction with history codes to provide the full picture of the healed condition and its treatment. The follow-up code is sequenced first, followed by the history code.

A follow-up code may be used to explain repeated visits. Should a condition be found to have recurred on the follow-up visit, then the diagnosis code should be used in place of the follow-up code."

Aftercare diagnosis codes are used during post-op period (10-90 days). Follow up diagnosis codes are used after the post-op period.

ICD 9 Followup codes V67 category 

V67.0 Follow-up surgery
        V67.00 Follow-up surgery, unspecified
        V67.01 Follow-up vaginal pap smear
        V67.09 Follow-up other surgery

V67.1  Radiotherapy Follow-up
V67.2  Chemotherapy Follow-up
V67.3 Psychotherapy and other treatment for mental disorder Follow-up
V67.4 Following treatment of healed fracture
V67.5 Following other treatment
       V67.51 Following completed treatment with high-risk medication, not elsewhere classified   
       V67.59 Other

V67.6 Following combined treatment
V67.9 Unspecified follow-up examination