ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: I know that there are a lot of relevant new ICD-10 codes for primary diagnoses. Are there also new codes for External Causes of Morbidity (V00-Y99) that would be ED-relevant?

Mississippi Subscriber

Answer: Yes, there are. You’ll find 173 — yes, 173 — of the new ICD-10 2024 codes under W44 (Foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice). Your physician may need these new codes if a patient has a foreign body in their ear, for example. The codes are broken down by the type of foreign body, as follows:

• W44.8- (Other foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice)
• W44.9- (Unspecified foreign body entering into or through a natural orifice)
• W44.A- (Battery entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.A0- (Battery unspecified …)
  • W44.A1- (Button battery …)
  • W44.A9- (Other batteries …)
• W44.B- (Plastic entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.B0- (Plastic object unspecified …)
  • W44.B1- (Plastic bead …)
  • W44.B2- (Plastic coin …)
  • W44.B3- (Plastic toy and toy part …)
  • W44.B4- (Plastic jewelry …)
  • W44.B5- (Plastic bottle …)
  • W44.B9- (Other plastic object …)
• W44.C- (Glass entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.C0- (Glass unspecified …)
  • W44.C1- (Sharp glass …)
  • W44.C2- (Intact glass …)
• W44.D- (Magnetic metal entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.D0- (Magnetic metal object unspecified …)
  • W44.D1- (Magnetic metal bead …)
  • W44.D2- (Magnetic metal coin …)
  • W44.D3- (Magnetic metal toy …)
  • W44.D4- (Magnetic metal jewelry …)
  • W44.D9- (Other magnetic metal objects …)
• W44.E- (Non-magnetic metal entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.E0- (Non-magnetic metal object unspecified …)
  • W44.E1- (Non-magnetic metal bead …)
  • W44.E2- (Non-magnetic metal coin …)
  • W44.E3- (Non-magnetic metal toy …)
  • W44.E4- (Non-magnetic metal jewelry …)
  • W44.E9- (Other non-magnetic metal objects …)
• W44.F- (Objects of natural or organic material entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.F0- (Objects of natural or organic material unspecified …)
  • W44.F1- (Bezoar …)
  • W44.F2- (Rubber band …)
  • W44.F3- (Food …)
  • W44.F4- (Insect …)
  • W44.F9- (Other object of natural or organic material …)
• W44.G- (Other non-organic objects entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.G0- (Other non-organic objects unspecified …)
  • W44.G1- (Audio device …)
  • W44.G2- (Combination metal and plastic toy and toy part …)
  • W44.G3- (Combination metal and plastic jewelry …)
  • W44.G9- (Other non-organic objects …)
• W44.H- (Other sharp object entering into or through a natural orifice)
  • W44.H0- (Other sharp object unspecified …)
  • W44.H1- (Needle …)
  • W44.H2- (Knife, sword or dagger …).