Your guide to timely filing appeal letters (with examples)
Wondering how to write one? Here’s what you need to know.
Navigate bipolar disorder coding with confidence. Our guide helps you master ICD-10 codes for BPD I, BPD II, and subtypes for easy documentation.
An estimated 4.4 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder at some time in their lives — so it’s possible at some point, you have or will treat someone with the condition in your practice.
As with any diagnosis, using the correct and most specific ICD-10 diagnosis code to effectively communicate the client’s presenting symptoms is important, ensuring the billing process will run smoothly for both of you. Keep reading to learn more about ICD-10 codes for bipolar disorder and how to document them for compliant billing.
It’s important you make a clear, accurate and specific diagnosis that is appropriate to your individual patient clinical picture. These examples should be for reference and are not intended to guide a diagnosis. The client must meet diagnostic criteria for the F code they are assigned.
Bipolar disorder, like many other diagnoses, has more than one ICD code associated with it. Using the correct code — the one that most accurately reflects your client’s diagnosis — is essential, as the diagnosis ultimately guides the treatment you’ll bill for.
When billing for bipolar disorder, accuracy is especially important, because treatment can be significantly different for the two types.
The primary ICD codes for bipolar disorder reflect the two types of bipolar diagnoses, including:
Many mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, have subtypes and specifiers. If your client has a subtype of bipolar disorder, using the appropriate code can help streamline the billing process. Additionally, specifiers reflect the current episode and course of the disorder. Importantly, if there is a more specific code available, it must be used.
Specifier ICD codes for bipolar disorder include:
Proper documentation is always important for compliance to insurance payers’ policies, including when you’re billing for bipolar disorder treatment. Keep in mind your diagnosis should always align with the treatment you provide — which is reflected in your CPT code. If an insurance payer questions whether your treatment is justified based on the diagnosis, you may face frustrating delays in payments (and extra work filing claims).
To ensure compliance across the board, choose a note-taking template — such as SOAP notes or DARP notes — that allows you to clearly communicate key information about your client’s bipolar disorder diagnosis, symptoms, therapeutic goals, and treatments in all your documentation.
Spend less time on paperwork and more time with your clients. Headway simplifies the administrative side of your practice by handling insurance billing, credentialing, and scheduling — all at no cost to you. We take care of the headaches so you can focus on what matters most: providing excellent care. With Headway, you’ll have the tools and support you need to grow your practice, get paid on time, and navigate insurance with ease.
Wondering how to write one? Here’s what you need to know.
In the ICD-10, adjustment disorders fall under the F43 category, or “reaction to severe stress, and adjustment disorders.”
Confused about CPT vs HCPCS codes? Learn the key differences, structure, and when to use each for accurate billing and insurance claims.