Screening Osteoporosis ICD-10-CM Codes

Table of content

What screening osteoporosis ICD codes can I use?Is this lone screening osteoporosis ICD code billable?Clinical information about getting screened for osteoporosis Synonyms include FAQS

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What screening osteoporosis ICD codes can I use?

If you’re looking for screening osteoporosis ICD codes, we’d like you to know that there is only one, and what’s great about it is that it is specific to this particular screening!

The ICD-10 code you’re looking for is Z13.820 - Encounter for screening for osteoporosis! It’s best used when you’re handling a patient who is seeing you to schedule a screening for osteoporosis or if they’re at your practice for the actual screening.

So that you know, this ICD-10 code is not acceptable as a diagnosis because this isn’t meant for having osteoporosis. Of course, your patient might have it, but they’re scheduling or about to undergo screening to find out if they have it.

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Is this lone screening osteoporosis ICD code billable?

Yes. While it is unacceptable as a principal diagnosis, this screening osteoporosis ICD code is valid and billable.

Clinical information about getting screened for osteoporosis:

As mentioned, Z13.820 is the lone and specific ICD code for osteoporosis screening. Osteoporosis is a type of bone condition characterized by the bones becoming brittle over time to the point that bending over to reach for something can cause fractures.

Those who are scheduled for osteoporosis screenings will undergo bone density tests, such as the following:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
Quantitative computed tomography (QCT)
Biomechanical computed tomography (BCT)
Radiofrequency echographic multi-spectrometry (REMS)

All of these aforementioned bone density tests are imaging tests, so they’re non-invasive and don’t require the patient to be hospitalized to be conducted.

Synonyms include:

Osteoporosis screening
Screening for osteoporosis
Check-up for osteoporosis

Commonly asked questions

What factors must healthcare professionals check on before testing a patient for osteoporosis?

During the screening process for osteoporosis, healthcare professionals will note how old the patient is (because the older we get, the more at risk we become of getting osteoporosis), check if the patient has a family history of osteoporosis if they have had a personal account of fractures if they take certain medications (some medicines weaken the bones), and if they have underlying conditions that can affect the bones like rheumatoid arthritis.

Are the aforementioned osteoporosis screening tests a one-time thing?

Not necessarily. These imaging tests can be conducted again for monitoring purposes to check on a patient’s bone health.

If a person is confirmed to have osteoporosis, how do healthcare professionals treat the problem?

If ever the patient is diagnosed with osteoporosis after taking bone density tests, treatment will include Bisphosphonates (which are medicines that strengthen the bones) and bone-building drugs (e.g., teriparatide, abaloparatide). They might even recommend a dietary change that includes getting enough calcium and vitamin D.