HIV Coding/Query Question
CC 1st Qtr 2019, pg 8 - 9 reiterates the guideline section I. C. 1.a.1, ...Code B20 may be reported for cases ... the patient is treated for any documented HIV-related illness ... So, when the documentation indicates HIV with sepsis, since with is considered a linking term (CC 4th qtr 2017 pg 101), and sepsis is in the CMS list of related conditions, are you coding to the B20 or querying to verify that the sepsis is related to the HIV and not due to a community acquired infection?
Comments
The response to the question on pg 9 of the CC states that the physician must indicate that the patient has an HIV-related illness and that it would not be appropriate to automatically link a dx as an HIV-related condition based sole on the CDC's AIDS-defining illnesses list.
Katy