ICD 10 Coding Alert

ICD-10 will break out an expanded set of codes based on acne type.

Starting Oct. 1, 2015, your dermatologist will be faced with a few more options for coding acne. The ICD-10 codes improve upon ICD-9 by providing more codes based on the specific type of acne.

ICD-9: Currently, the two diagnosis codes for acne are:

• 706.0 — Acne varioliformis
• 706.1 — Other acne.

A note under 706.0 explains that it includes acne frontalis and acne necrotica, while a note with 706.1 includes acne conglobata, cystic acne, pustular acne, acne vulgaris, and NOS.

These codes do not include acne rosacea, which is covered by 695.3 (Rosacea). A note with that code explains that it includes erythematosa, rosacea, perioral dermatitis and rhinophyma.

ICD-10: The new diagnosis code system provides these codes for acne conditions:

• L70.0 — Acne vulgaris
  
• L70.1 — Acne conglobata
  
• L70.2 — Acne varioliformis
  
• L70.3 — Acne tropica
  
• L70.4 — Infantile acne
  
• L70.5 — Acné excoriée des jeunes filles
  
• L70.8 — Other acne
  
• L70.9 — Acne, unspecified.
  

The rosacea codes are similarly expanded to provide codes for these conditions now all covered by 695.3:

• L71.0 — Perioral dermatitis
• L71.1 — Rhinophyma
  
• L71.8 — Other rosacea
• L71.9 — Rosacea, unspecified.

In ICD-10, erythema will be described by codes in the L50-L54 (Uticaria and erythema) series.