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What are Medical Codes?
The entire medical world works with two types of codes, CPT and ICD-9 codes. CPT stands for Common
Procedural Terminology. The codes were created to establish definitions for every possible type of procedure
and visit you could have within the conventional medical world. While, they are not a perfect fit for the world of
Naturopathic and Chinese medicines, we work within them on a daily basis. You may only have coverage for a
code that represents an annual preventive health visit or you may only see someone as a consultation, not as a
primary care giver, etc. Our front desk staff will be able to give you the most common codes we use so that you
may have better language when speaking with your insurance company.
ICD-9 codes stand for International Classification of Diseases (9th Ed.). They represent all possible
diagnosable medical conditions. Sometimes you will need to gather your 'diagnoses codes' from the past to
determine if your plan will cover visits relating to those alone or if your plan has more freedom than that. One
example of this is some insurance plans only allow patients to get a referral to a Naturopathic Physician for a
certain set of digestive complaints and no other health issues. Another is that Acupuncture is limited to your
current back pain and not your headaches. This is becoming less and less prominent in the world as
insurances understand our medicine more. But it does still exist.
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5312 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 Copyright © 2007
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