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v1.0.0
ICD-10 Guide
DiagnosesCovid Screening

Covid Screening

ICD-10 Coding for COVID-19 Screening(Z20.822, U07.1)

PRIMARY SPECIALTYSurgery
COMPLEXITYHigh
LAST UPDATED09/15/2025
Sam Tuffun, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist | Medical Coding & Billing Contributor

Diagnosis Overview

What is Covid Screening?
Essential facts and insights about COVID-19 Screening

Key Clinical Considerations:

  • Fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of taste or smell
  • PCR test, rapid antigen test, serology test results
  • Lung auscultation revealing abnormal breath sounds, oxygen saturation levels

Clinical Information

Clinical Criteria & Documentation Requirements

  • Patient history of exposure, symptoms, test results, and treatment plan
  • ICD-10-CM codes for COVID-19 screening, Z20.828 for exposure
  • Example: 'Patient screened for COVID-19 due to recent exposure and symptoms of cough and fever.'

Coding Guidelines

Usage Guidelines & Examples

  • Follow CDC guidelines for coding COVID-19 screenings.
  • Common errors include using outdated codes or omitting exposure history.

Code Exclusions

Important Exclusions

  • Patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis, asymptomatic individuals without exposure
  • Codes for other respiratory infections

Related ICD-10 Codes

Primary Codes
Z20.828
Contact with and (suspected) exposure to other viral communicable diseases
U07.1
COVID-19, virus identified
Ancillary Codes
R05.1
J12.82
Differential Codes
Z11.52
Z11.52
only when screening is performed outside of a pandemic context.
J12.82
J12.82
for pneumonia cases confirmed to be due to COVID-19.

Related CPT Codes

CPT codes will be available in a future update.

Specialty Focus

Primary Specialty

Surgery

Specialty Applications

  • Individuals with symptoms, healthcare workers, and those with known exposure
  • Emergency departments, outpatient clinics, and surgical centers

Coding Complexity

High Complexity

This diagnosis requires careful attention to:

  • Comprehensive clinical documentation
  • Accurate code selection based on clinical criteria
  • Proper exclusion considerations
  • Specialty-specific coding guidelines

Documentation

Documentation Templates

Billing Information

Billing Considerations

  • Ensure proper documentation for billing
  • Verify code specificity requirements
  • Check for any additional codes needed
  • Review payer-specific guidelines

Common Issues

  • Insufficient clinical documentation
  • Incorrect code selection
  • Missing supporting diagnoses
  • Timing and frequency documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

Documentation requirements?

Include patient symptoms, exposure history, and test results.

Billing considerations?

Ensure correct coding for screening and follow-up tests to avoid denials.