550.90 will become K40.90.
ICD-10 implementation in 2013 is coming fast, so take steps now to prepare. Each month, Anesthesia Coding Alert will highlight a common diagnosis code and how it might change with ICD-10. If you'd like to learn more about a specific diagnosis, email editor Leigh DeLozier.
"Sometimes the procedure indicates bilateral and the coder still uses the '0' fifth digit as 'unspecified'," says Kelly Dennis, CPC, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPC, CPC-I, owner of Perfect Office Solutions in Leesburg, Fla. The new code descriptor for K40.90 specifies unilateral and unspecified, so helps coders choose the correct diagnosis more easily.