| July 2009 · Vol. 21, No. 07 REIMBURSEMENT ADVISER
ACOG guidelines for HIV screening don’t always acknowledge coding reality
The College urges “opt-out” screening—but many states require that, even then, you counsel the patient and have her sign a consent form
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Fast Track
General consent for medical care should be adequate to encompass HIV testing, the CDC says—making separate written consent unneeded
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Melanie
Witt,
RN, CPC, COBGC, MAMs. Witt is an independent coding and documentation consultant and former program manager, department of coding and nomenclature, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The author reports no financial relationships relevant to this article.
Routine screening for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is recommended for all women 19 to 64 years old, according to guidelines issued in August 2008 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). In addition, ACOG recommends that women outside that age range who have a risk factor for HIV infection undergo targeted screening.
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