Denial Code CO 11

When a CPT code is submitted with an inappropriate diagnosis code, insurance companies may deny the claim with denial code CO 11 – “The diagnosis is inconsistent with the procedure code billed.” This denial code indicates that there is a discrepancy between the diagnosis provided and the procedure performed, leading the insurance company to reject the claim due to the lack of medical necessity or appropriate billing practices.

To avoid such denials, healthcare providers must ensure that the diagnosis codes they submit accurately reflect the patient’s condition and support the medical necessity of the services rendered. Proper documentation and coding practices are essential to prevent claim denials and potential revenue loss for the provider.

Denial Code CO 11 denial Solutions:

1. The first step in the process is to carefully review the application to determine if there was a previous date of service where the same CPT code and diagnosis code were billed, and a payment was received. If a payment was already received for the same diagnosis and procedure code combination in the past, it suggests a potential error in the processing of the current claim. In such cases, it is essential to take action by reaching out to the insurance claims department to request a reprocessing of the claim.
2. When faced with a situation where payment has not been received for a previous date of service with a combination of the same procedure and diagnosis code, it is crucial to conduct a thorough review of the medical documents. This review is essential to ensure that the ICD code used is consistent with the procedure code billed. Inconsistencies between the diagnosis and procedure codes can lead to claim denials and delayed payments.

Additionally, it is important to collaborate with the coding team to verify the accuracy of the codes being used. By working together, discrepancies can be identified and rectified promptly. It is essential to ensure that the claim is billed in accordance with Local Coverage Determination (LCD) guidelines. Failure to adhere to these guidelines can result in claim denials and potential compliance issues.

3. When the diagnosis code does not align with the CPT code submitted, it is crucial to update the appropriate DX code and resubmit the claim as a corrected claim to the insurance company.
4. In the scenario where an insurance company denies a claim despite the appropriate DX code being billed in alignment with CPT and LCD guidelines, it is crucial to take proactive steps to rectify the situation. The first course of action should involve reaching out to the insurance company’s claims department to address the issue directly. When contacting the claims department, it is essential to clearly communicate the specific reasons why the denial appears to be in error, citing the supporting documentation from the medical records and LCD guidelines. During the conversation with the claims representative, it is imperative to remain professional and courteous while advocating for the claim to be sent back for reprocessing.
5. If representative disagrees to send the claim back for reprocessing, the final recourse available would be to appeal the claim along with comprehensive medical and supporting documentation

Following queries need to be inquired, when you reach out claims-representative:

• May I know the claim denied date?
• Could you please tell me which Dx code is inconsistent? (If there are multiple dx code billed)
• Upon checking the patient’s claim history, the previous DOS is paid with same CPT and dx code, could you please verify the same? (If previous date of service paid with same CPT and dx code). Note: Upon reviewing the patient’s claim history, if the previous date of service (DOS) was paid with the same Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code and diagnosis code, it is essential to confirm the consistency of these elements for the current claim

(If claim-representative checked and found, then ask claim-representative to reprocess the claim)

• So, could you please send the denied claim back for reprocessing and what is the time frame to reprocessing the claim?

When a previous date-of-service is also denied, it is crucial to obtain the corrected claim-mailing address in order to resubmit the corrected claim, and also the TFL.

• May I know the corrected claim mailing address and time limit to resubmit the corrected claim?
• Get the claim number and call reference number?

Medical Billing Denials and actions – Top Denial codes Solutions (medicalbillingcycle.com)