Pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10
Pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10 codes were revised for 2022 and will help Speech-Language pathologists better define eating difficulties, aversions and refusals. Although these disorders can be considered common, clinicians had difficulty classifying them in the past. Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists who specialize in feeding often work with children who display “picky eating” and will only eat a limited variety of foods. SLPs also frequently see children who refuse to eat, which could be due to a variety of reasons.
→ Click here to enroll in our free on-demand Insurance Billing for Therapists video course [Enroll Now]
In October 2021, new pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10 codes took effect for the fiscal year 2022. Two of these new pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10 codes help SLPs define feeding refusals, aversions, and difficulties: R63.1, acute Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD), and R63.32, chronic Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD).
Pediatric feeding disorders can affect a client’s quality of life and cause families a financial burden (an average lifetime income loss of approximately $125,645).
The disorder can also lead to serious health consequences. Feeding disorders in children can result in medical conditions such as failure to thrive, and compromised general health.
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) play a critical role as part of an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals treating a client with a Pediatric Feeding Disorder. SLPs are responsible for identifying signs and symptoms of a Pediatric Feeding Disorder through an assessment so they can determine the correct diagnosis for treatment plan purposes and insurance billing.
The SLP also provides treatment for Pediatric Feeding Disorders that can include modifying the texture of certain foods or recommending certain strategies for mealtimes.
Being knowledgeable about Pediatric Feeding Disorders ICD-10 codes can help Speech-Language Pathologists ensure they are following Medicaid and American Speech Hearing-Language Association guidelines to document a pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10 code for certain clients to the highest degree of specificity.
Here’s what you need to know about Pediatric Feeding Disorders ICD-10 codes as well as criteria symptoms, and the top-recommended resources to guide your treatment.
Pediatric Feeding Disorders ICD-10 codes
SLPs are required to use pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10 codes when diagnosing clients and charging procedures. In order to stay compliant with HIPAA regulations and for payment by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies, therapists must use the most accurate, specific pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10 codes.
The Pediatric Feeding Disorder ICD-10 codes to use when diagnosing a client are:
- R63.31: Acute Pediatric Feeding Disorder (present for less than 3 months)
- R63.31: Chronic Pediatric Feeding Disorder (present for 3 months or longer)
Therapists can use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ICD-10 lookup tool or the 2024 list of ICD-10 CM Diagnosis Codes related to Speech, Language, and Swallowing Disorders by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) to view some of the specifications surrounding when to use pediatric feeding disorder ICD-10 codes for a client who has a feeding disorder.
The Pediatric Feeding Disorder ICD-10 codes exclude:
- R13.1 Dysphagia
- F98.2- Infant Feeding Disorder of nonorganic origin
Watch this video to learn common insurance billing struggles and solutions
→ Start My Free Trial
→ Start My Free Trial
Signs and symptoms of Dysphagia
The World Health Organization Internal Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health provides a framework that defines a Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) as: “impaired oral intake that is not age-appropriate, and is associated with medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and/or psychosocial dysfunction”.
The following associated medical conditions may be diagnosed in addition to a Pediatric Feeding Disorder:
- Dysphagia (R13.1-)
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (K21.-)
- Aspiration pneumonia (J69.0)
- Malnutrition (E40-E46)
- Children with neurologic impairments
- Neurodevelopmental disorders (ex: Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Pediatric Feeding Disorders have 4 underlying domains:
- Medical
- Nutritional
- Feeding Skills
- Psychosocial
Several of these domains may be present because an impairment in one area can lead to an impairment in another.
→ Download My Free Insurance Billing Guide
Prevalence of Pediatric Feeding Disorder
According to the Journal of Pediatrics, each year more than 1 in 37 children under the age of 5 in the U.S. receive a diagnosis of a Pediatric Feeding Disorder.
Pediatric Feeding Disorders, therefore, are considered common and are even more prevalent than certain pediatric conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and Cerebral Palsy.
Assessment and treatment for individuals with a Pediatric Feeding Disorder
An assessment for a client who is suspected to have a Pediatric Feeding Disorder may include:
- Oral Motor Examination
- Case History (obtain information through interviewing client and/or family, asking about symptoms, review of medical chart/history, and interdisciplinary collaboration with other professionals managing the client’s treatment).
- Assessment of 4 domains: Feeding skills, medical, nutrition, and psychosocial
- Tools such as the Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire and the Functional Oral Intake Scale available on (FOIS)
When providing treatment for a client with a Pediatric Feeding Disorder, the SLP may include:
- Modifications to diet consistency
- Compensatory strategies/modifications to the mealtime environment, taught to parents
- Strategies for increasing the patient’s variety in his or her diet
SLPs can utilize resources for providing treatment such as these:
Start 30-day Free Trial and explore TheraPlatform. HIPAA Compliant Video and Practice Management Software for Therapists.
How EHR and practice management software can save speech language pathologists time on insurance billing
EHR with integrated billing software and a clearing house, such as TheraPlatform, offers significant advantages to SLPs in creating an efficient insurance billing process. The key is minimizing the amount of time dedicated to developing, sending, and tracking medical claims through features such as automation and batching.
What are automation and batching?
- Automation refers to setting up software to perform tasks with limited human interaction.
- Batching or performing administrative tasks in blocks of time at once allows you to perform a task from a single entry point with less clicking.
Which billing and medical claim tasks can be automated and batched through billing software?
- Invoices: Create multiple invoices for multiple clients with a click or two of a button or set up auto-invoice creation, and the software will automatically create invoices for you at the preferred time. You can even have the system automatically send invoices to your clients.
- Credit card processing: Charge multiple clients with a click of a button or set up auto credit card billing, and the billing software will automatically charge the card (easier than swiping!)
- Email payment reminders: Never manually send another reminder email for payment again, or skip this altogether by enabling auto credit card charges.
- Automated claim creation and submission: Batch multiple claims with one button click or turn auto claim creation and submission on.
- Live claim validation: The system reviews each claim to catch any human errors before submission, saving you time and reducing rejected claims.
- Automated payment posting: Streamline posting procedures for paid medical claims with ERA. When insurance offers ERA, all their payments will post automatically on TheraPlatform's EHR.
- Tracking: Track payment and profits, including aging invoices, overdue invoices, transactions, billed services, service providers.
Utilizing billing software integrated with an EHR and practice management software can make storing and sharing billing and insurance easy and save speech therapy providers time when it comes to insurance billing for therapists.
Resources
TheraPlatform is an all-in-one EHR, practice management, and teletherapy software built for therapists to help them save time on admin tasks. It offers a 30-day risk-free trial with no credit card required and supports different industries and sizes of practices, including speech-language pathologists in group and solo practices.
More resources
- Therapy resources and worksheets
- Therapy private practice courses
- Ultimate teletherapy ebook
- The Ultimate Insurance Billing Guide for Therapists
- The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Private Therapy Practice
- Insurance billing 101
- Practice management tools
Free video classes
- Free on-demand insurance billing for therapist course
- Free mini video lessons to enhance your private practice
- 9 Admin tasks to automate in your private practice
