Home Health & Hospice Week

New potential case mix codes will offer increased specificity ICD-10 is coming fast, but until then you'll still need to pay attention to ICD-9 updates. Don't forget these coming diagnosis codes that home care providers will start using Oct. 1. Several of the new ICD-9 codes fall under categories with current case mix codes. These include newly expanded 287.4 (Secondary thrombocytopenia), which now includes 287.41 (Posttrans-fusion purpura), and 287.49 (Other secondary thrombocytopenia). This change will allow precise reporting of posttransfusion purpura (PTP), which usually arises five to 12 days after transfusion of blood components, noted Mikhail Menis of the Food & Drug Administration at the September 2009 ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting. Four new aortic ectasia codes also fall under a current case mix category. But, not all of 447 is case mix so it is anybody's guess whether ectasia makes the cut, says coding expert Lisa Selman-Holman of [...]