Cardiology Coding Alert

Even one-to-one matches can hold surprises -- check the index for clarity.When ICD-10 replaces ICD-9 in 2013, one lesson you'll need to remember is that inclusion lists may differ between the two code sets. That means that ICD- 9 and ICD-10 codes that appear to be twins may not apply to the same list of diagnoses.Case in point: ICD-9 2011 code 745.4 (Ventricular septal defect) and ICD-10 2011 code Q21.0 (Ventricular septal defect) have the same code definition. Both reference ventricular septal defect (VSD), which involves at least one hole in the wall separating the ventricles of the heart. Despite the similarity in the code definitions, the inclusion lists for these codes are not identical.ICD-9 coding rules: Code 745.4 has an inclusion note telling you the code is appropriate for Eisenmenger's defect or complex, Gerbode defect, interventricular septal defect, left ventricular-right atrial communication, or Roger's Disease.ICD-10 changes: The inclusion list under [...]