Diagnosis codes 739 and 839 indicate the level of subluxation, rather than the cause or complaint, which is what Medicare wants to see on the claim form.
These are not payable primary diagnosis codes and should not be listed on the claim form. The ICD-9-CM codes that support medical necessity are listed in the Local Coverage Determination for Chiropractic Services. Any of the approved codes can be used on the claim form and Medicare will cover them.
Note, however, that diagnosis codes 739 and 839, level of subluxation, are required in the patient's documentation along with all appropriate diagnoses.
Some insurers require the level of subluxation on the claim form. If required
by a secondary insurer, you may include diagnosis codes 739 or 839 on the claim
form in field 21. Do not, however, reference diagnosis codes 739 or 839 in field
24E as the primary diagnosis code; your claim will deny.