What Is the Difference Between the Alpha & Tabular Index & How Are They Used?

The International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision (ICD-9) is a medical code book used for billing a medical claim. Diagnosis codes are assigned to diseases and conditions to provide medical necessity for all medical services and procedures. Identifying the proper ICD-9 code on the insurance claim form is essential for quick claim payment by the insurance company. The tabular and alphabetical indexes of the ICD-9 direct the medical biller toward the proper codes.

Sections of the ICD-9 Code Book

• The front of ICD-9 contains coding guidelines to help navigate and understand how to use the ICD-9 manual. The second section, referred to as Volume One, is the tabular index. Volume Two is the alphabetical section in which all diseases and conditions are listed. Hospital procedure billing codes are listed in Volume Three.

Volume One-The Tabular Index

• The tabular index in Volume One is a numeric listing of codes and descriptions. Volume One consists of the tabular index, supplementary V and E codes. V codes are assigned for routine physicals, pregnancies and immunizations, among other things. E codes are external cause identifiers. If a person is injured, an E code provides information regarding the location the injury occurred and the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.

Volume Two-The Alphabetical Index

• The Alphabetical Index is a listing of all diseases and conditions listed in the ICD-9 code book. Common diseases and conditions can be found both under their medical term and under their common name.

How to Use the Tabular and Alphabetical Indexes

• Look up diseases and conditions in the alphabetical index first. In the alphabetical index, the main term is identified in bold print, while subterms are indented below. Physician diagnoses are looked up alphabetically. Once the code is found in the alphabetical index, look up the numeric code referenced in the tabular index. Codes in the tabular index are listed in numeric order from 001 to 999.9. V and E code indexes are in numeric order, as well. Be sure to look up the code in both the alphabetical and the tabular sections. If the proper ICD-9 code is not referenced, the claim can be delayed or denied.