Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Obesity Management Web Site for Providers

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Because it takes both height and weight into account, the Body Mass Index (BMI) has become the standard for gauging the level of obesity. The new "vital sign," BMI should be recorded on all patients. A diagnosis of overweight, obesity, or morbid obesity should have its place on the Problem List, and be coded on the claim.

What is BMI - A brief review of the utility and rationale of the BMI.
BMI calculator - If you have the patient's height in feet and inches, and weight in pounds, this calculator does the rest.
Adult BMI tables
Pediatric BMI tables
Pediatric BMI-for-age growth charts

Proper coding of obesity on the claim form helps identify your patients with obesity, and enables them to participate in BCBSTX's many outreach programs. These codes do not necessarily affect reimbursement.

Use these diagnostic codes for ADULT patients:

278.02	Overweight (BMI 26-29)
278.02	Obesity (BMI 30-34, or 35-39 if no conmorbid conditions)
278.01	Morbid Obesity (BMI over 40, over 35-39 with conmorbid conditions)

Use these diagnostic codes for PEDIATRIC patients (age 2-20):

278.02

Overweight (BMI > 95 percentile on growth chart)

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