Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Are there any ICD-9-CM updates planned for 2013?

Iowa Subscriber

Answer: No ICD-9-CM diagnosis code updates are planned for ICD-9 2013 (effective Oct. 1, 2012). There's a freeze in place until ICD-10-CM replaces ICD-9-CM.

Potential changes for the annual ICD-9-CM update usually appear at this time of year in CMS's Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule, but this year's IPPS indicated you won't have to deal with extensive changes. Practices can focus on ICD-10 preparation instead.