Official Instructional Notations in the ICD-10-CM

Question 1

NEC

Answer 1

not elsewhere classified

Question 2

NOS

Answer 2

not otherwise specified

Question 3

NEC or NOS?

Used in both the Alphabetic Index and Tabular List

Answer 3

NEC

Question 4

code may not fully describe the disease process or medical condition

Answer 4

NEC

Question 5

directs the coder to other classifications

Answer 5

NEC

Question 6

used when ICD-10-CM does not have any codes that provide greater specificity

Answer 6

NEC

Question 7

NEC or NOC?

Equivalent of “unspecified”. Used when the information at hand does not permit a more specific code assignment

Answer 7

NOC

Question 8

encloses synonyms, alternative wording, or explanatory phrases.

Answer 8

brackets

Question 9

symbol found in the Tabular list

Answer 9

brackets

Question 10

brackets in the Alphabetic Index identify…

Answer 10

manifestation

Question 11

where are the brackets on the claim form

Answer 11

listed second

Question 12

enclose supplementary words that may be present or absent in the statement of a disease or procedure without affecting code assignment

Answer 12

parenthesis

Question 13

words that may be used to clarify the diagnosis but do not affect code assignment

Answer 13

nonessential modifiers

Question 14

located in the Tabular list after an incomplete term that needs on or more of the modifiers that follow in order to make the condition assignable to a given category

Answer 14

colon

Question 15

means and/or

Answer 15

and

Question 16

with/in and indicates that two conditions are included in the code and both conditions must be present to report the code

Answer 16

with

Question 17

appears under certain categories to further define or give examples of the content of a category. Located in the Tabular list

Answer 17

Includes

Question 18

“NOT CODED HERE” and indicates that the code excluded should not be assigned at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note

Answer 18

Excludes1

Question 19

“Not included here” and indicates the condition excluded is not part of the condition it is excluded from and a patient may have both conditions at the same time

Answer 19

Excludes2

Question 20

“Use additional code” is paired with the _______ code

Answer 20

etiology

Question 21

“Code first” is paired with the _____ code

Answer 21

manifestation

Question 22

the code title ____ _____ _____ _____ indicates that it is a manifestation code

Answer 22

“in diseases classified elsewhere”

Question 23

never first-listed codes

Answer 23

“in diseases classified elsewhere”

Question 24

codes that must be used in conjunction with an underlying condition code and must follow the underlying condition code.

Answer 24

“in diseases classified elsewhere”

Question 25

note instructs that two codes may be required to fully describe a condition but the sequencing of the two codes is discretionary, depending on the circumstances for the encounter

Answer 25

“Code also”

Question 26

what is assigned for codes that are less than 6 characters that require a 7th character;

Answer 26

a placeholder X

Question 27

three types of cross-references

Answer 27

1. “see”
2. “see” also
3. “see” category

Question 28

cross-reference “see”

Answer 28

1. cross-reference which is an explicit direction to look elsewhere
2. used for anatomic sites and many modifiers not normally used in the Alphabetic Index
3. used to reference the appropriate main term under which all the information concerning a specific disease will be located

Question 29

cross-reference “see” also

Answer 29

directs the coder to reference another main term if all the information being searched for cannot be located under the first main term entry