Skip to Content

Provider Manual

Claims coding resources

Last Updated on June 30, 2026

Security Health Plan utilizes industry standard claim editing software, including Optum Claims Edit System (CES) for primary editing and Cotiviti as a second pass editing vendor. Our clinical editing processes promote correct coding and implementation, to the greatest extent possible, claim payment policies that are broad in scope, simple to understand, and that come from regulatory guidance.

As a payor, under federal fraud and abuse guidelines, Security Health Plan is restricted from instructing providers on how to bill.

Security Health Plan takes into consideration historical claims experience, as well as policy guidelines from the following sources, as appropriate:

  • AMA CPT coding guidelines
  • National and regional Medicare policies
  • National specialty academy guidelines
  • Wisconsin Medicaid guidelines

Security Health Plan’s payment policies focus on areas such as, but not limited to:

  • AMA CPT Procedure Code Definition & Guidelines
  • National Correct Coding Initiative (CCI)
  • Modifier usage
  • ICD Diagnosis Code Guidelines, including *Excludes1 note editing
  • Global Surgery period
  • Evaluation & Management Guidelines
  • Add On code usage
  • Professional, technical, global policy
  • Diagnosis to Procedure
  • Place of Service
  • Age appropriateness
  • CMS’s National and Local Coverage Determinations
  • Revenue Code Validation

*Excludes1 note editing is applied for claims processed on or after May 1, 2026. This editing will be applied to facility and professional claims for all product lines. Providers are responsible for reviewing and applying Excludes1 guidance when selecting diagnosis codes. Claims containing diagnosis combinations that violate Excludes1 rules will be denied and require correction.

Examples of this code scenario would include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Reporting I25.82 with I21.4:
    • I25.82 (Chronic total occlusion of coronary artery) has an Excludes1 note that includes I21.4
  • Reporting R54 with F03.918:
    • R54 (Age-related physical debility) has an Excludes1 note that includes F03.918 (Unspecified dementia, unspecified severity, with other behavioral disturbance).

If you believe an Excludes1 note denial is incorrect, please consult the ICD-10-CM code book to verify the appropriate use of the billed codes. If, after review, you still believe the denial is incorrect, please submit a claim appeal with supporting documentation to indicate why the billed diagnoses codes are appropriately used together.

Resources

Below are  resources Security Health Plan suggests as guidance for proper coding: