2021 ICD-10-CM Code Z12.31

Encounter for screening mammogram for malignant neoplasm of breast

  1. ICD-10-CM Index
  2. Chapter: Z00–Z99
  3. Section: Z00-Z13
  4. Block: Z12
  5. Z12.31 - Encntr screen mammogram for malignant neoplasm of breast
Version 2021
Billable Code
Unacceptable Principal Diagnosis
POA Exempt

Valid for Submission

Z12.31 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of encounter for screening mammogram for malignant neoplasm of breast. The code Z12.31 is valid during the fiscal year 2021 from October 01, 2020 through September 30, 2021 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. The code is exempt from present on admission (POA) reporting for inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals.

The code Z12.31 describes a circumstance which influences the patient's health status but not a current illness or injury. The code is unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

The code Z12.31 is linked to some Quality Measures as part of Medicare's Quality Payment Program (QPP). When this code is used as part of a patient's medical record the following Quality Measures might apply: Radiology: Inappropriate Use Of "probably Benign" Assessment Category In Screening Mammograms , Radiology: Reminder System For Screening Mammograms.

ICD-10:Z12.31
Short Description:Encntr screen mammogram for malignant neoplasm of breast
Long Description:Encounter for screening mammogram for malignant neoplasm of breast

Code Classification

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10 codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more. The following references are applicable to the code Z12.31:


Type 1 Excludes

Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.

Index to Diseases and Injuries

The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10 code(s). The following references for the code Z12.31 are found in the index:

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10 Code Edits are applicable to this code:

Present on Admission (POA)

Z12.31 is exempt from POA reporting - The Present on Admission (POA) indicator is used for diagnosis codes included in claims involving inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals. POA indicators must be reported to CMS on each claim to facilitate the grouping of diagnoses codes into the proper Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG). CMS publishes a listing of specific diagnosis codes that are exempt from the POA reporting requirement. Review other POA exempt codes here.

CMS POA Indicator Options and Definitions
POA Indicator CodePOA Reason for CodeCMS will pay the CC/MCC DRG?
YDiagnosis was present at time of inpatient admission.YES
NDiagnosis was not present at time of inpatient admission.NO
UDocumentation insufficient to determine if the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.NO
WClinically undetermined - unable to clinically determine whether the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.YES
1Unreported/Not used - Exempt from POA reporting. NO

Convert Z12.31 to ICD-9 Code

The General Equivalency Mapping (GEM) crosswalk indicates an approximate mapping between the ICD-10 code Z12.31 its ICD-9 equivalent. The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 code and the ICD-9 code and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Quality Payment Program Measures

When code Z12.31 is part of the patient's diagnoses the following Quality Measures apply and affect reimbursement. The objective of Medicare's Quality Measures is to improve patient care by making it more: effective, safe, efficient, patient-centered and equitable.

Quality Measure Description Quality Domain Measure Type High Priority Submission Methods
Radiology: Inappropriate Use of "Probably Benign" Assessment Category in Screening MammogramsPercentage of final reports for screening mammograms that are classified as "probably benign".Efficiency and Cost ReductionProcessYESClaims, Registry
Radiology: Reminder System for Screening MammogramsPercentage of patients undergoing a screening mammogram whose information is entered into a reminder system with a target due date for the next mammogram.Communication and Care CoordinationStructureYESClaims, Registry

Information for Patients


Health Screening

Also called: Screening tests

Screenings are tests that look for diseases before you have symptoms. Screening tests can find diseases early, when they're easier to treat. You can get some screenings in your doctor's office. Others need special equipment, so you may need to go to a different office or clinic.

Some conditions that doctors commonly screen for include

Which tests you need depends on your age, your sex, your family history, and whether you have risk factors for certain diseases. After a screening test, ask when you will get the results and whom to talk to about them.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Mammography

A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. It can be used to check for breast cancer in women who have no signs or symptoms of the disease. It can also be used if you have a lump or other sign of breast cancer.

Screening mammography is the type of mammogram that checks you when you have no symptoms. It can help reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women ages 40 to 70. But it can also have drawbacks. Mammograms can sometimes find something that looks abnormal but isn't cancer. This leads to further testing and can cause you anxiety. Sometimes mammograms can miss cancer when it is there. It also exposes you to radiation. You should talk to your doctor about the benefits and drawbacks of mammograms. Together, you can decide when to start and how often to have a mammogram.

Mammograms are also recommended for younger women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of the disease.

When you have a mammogram, you stand in front of an x-ray machine. The person who takes the x-rays places your breast between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable, but it helps get a clear picture. You should get a written report of your mammogram results within 30 days.

NIH: National Cancer Institute


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016 (First year ICD-10-CM implemented into the HIPAA code set)

Previous Code: Z12.3

Related Codes

Next Code: Z12.39