Anesthesia Coding Alert
Zero in on More Specific Diagnoses for Low Back Pain
Look ahead to code changes in October. Fall brings cooler weather and changing leaves – and, for the coding world, updated ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its latest list of ICD-10 codes that will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2021. The rundown: According to the WHO, the new code book will have: Read on for sneak peek at new diagnoses you might need when you code for pain management. Explore New Back Pain, Headache Codes Dorsalgia, or low back pain, is such a common diagnosis that any new additions to the code family are welcome since they’ll help you code more accurately. The new edition of ICD-0-CM will include three new diagnoses related to low back pain: Headache: The new G44.86 (Cervicogenic headache) code will allow you to code cervicogenic headache when the provider diagnoses it. Under past editions of ICD-10-CM, you were forced to code cervicogenic headaches with a less specific code from the G44.8 (Other specified headache syndromes) code set. You also should be familiar with new Sjogren syndrome codes as potential secondary diagnoses: Here’s why: At first glance, it doesn’t seem that Sjogren syndrome would be relevant to neurology or pain management coders; the condition is marked by dry eyes and dry mouth, which won’t be treated by any of your providers. You will, however, probably see people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory arthritis, or peripheral/central nervous system issues. These patients often suffer from Sjogren syndrome due to their primary conditions, so these could be frequent secondary diagnoses for some of your patients. Other code additions almost double the coding options you’ll have for the M45 (Ankylosing spondylitis) code set. The new diagnoses are:
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