Allo BMT for plasma cell leukemia?

[Guest guest]

2011 ICD-9-CM

Diagnosis Code 203.1

Plasma cell leukemia

rare

type of acute leukemia in which the predominating cell in the peripheral

blood is the plasma cell; it is often seen in conjunction with multiple

myeloma and may be a variant form of that disease.

Above is the diagnosis code for PCL, which coding wise is

under the sub-set of multiple myeloma. Medicare states that allo BMT isn’t

covered for myeloma, but it IS covered for leukemia. The coding description

indicates that PCL may occur in conjunction with MM, or it might be a type of

MM. Does anyone know if Medicare will consider this as a myeloma or as a leukemia?

Help!

Goldstein

Financial Specialist

Stanford Blood & Marrow Transplant Program