Today’s tweets will be a series of Billable ICD10 codes you can use in the care of Black mamas and babies birthing and being born in today’s AmeriKKKa:

Z60.5 Target of (perceived) adverse discrimination and persecution.

i.e. Racism

I use it almost every day that I work.

Victim of bullying l-Z65.8

Can also be applied to Black femme health workers in the culture of systemic and institutional racism that burns us out at unprecedented rates

Unstable housing, couch surfing, living in hotels, shelters

Z59.0 Homelessness or housing unstable

Detained in the prison industrial complex due to crimes of poverty, drug addiction, especially addiction while pregnant (See Policing the Womb/Killing the Black Body by @michelebgoodwin @DorothyERoberts)

Z65.1 Patient is incarcerated

Black mamas and babies failing to thrive because dumbass politicians don’t recognize the value of community perinatal healthcare workforce including Black doulas and homebirth midwives:

Z75.4 Unavailability & inaccessibility of other helping agencies

Mama not eating healthful foods because she’s living in a food desert:

Z59.4
Lack of adequate food and safe drinking water

Baby born too small to mama in Flint drinking lead poisoned water:

P04.9. Newborn affected by maternal exposure to noxious substance

Mamas in Flint who experienced a miscarriage or developing drinking lead poisoned water:

Z77.111 Contact with and exposure to water pollution

Talk amongst yourselves. I’ll be back...

Instead of labeling patient “Non-compliant” who isn’t taking their medications since they cannot afford to pick it up because they don’t have money for their copay try:
Z59.61 unable to pay for prescriptions

And also. Sometimes don’t be an asshole and ask your patients if they can afford the copay before they leave. And maybe even do something to help.

If the reason your patient can’t pay for food, medicine, copays is because she’s a mom of 2 earning the Federal Minimum wage or even as much as $3/hr over the minimum wage;

Z59.5 Extreme poverty.

Take the time to learn where the local resources are to get free or low cost dental care in your patients’ communities; JuCos, trade schools with dental assistant programs dental schools, residencies that do more than just extract, & counsel & refer your clients for care: Z71.89