ICD 10 Coding Alert

Plus: Some RAC programs have been put on the back burner for now.

You may not be familiar with the ICD-10 code set yet, but it continues to grow anyway.

CMS recently posted the 2012 ICD-10 code update, which not only shows which codes were added, deleted, and revised this year, but also offers information on the new diagnosis coding system, which will be mandatory for all providers as of Oct. 1, 2013.

For example: In 2011, ICD-10 codes for hemorrhoids were found in the I84 category (Diseases of veins, lymphatic vessels, and lymph nodes, not elsewhere classified), which spanned from I84.0 (Thrombosed hemorrhoids) through I84.6 (Residual hemorrhoidal skin tags). Now, however, hemorrhoids are classified with "Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K945), which is found in chapter 11 of ICD-10.

You'll find the ICD-10 codes for hemmorhoids now assigned to codes K64.0 (First degree hemorrhoids) through K64.9 (Unspecified hemorrhoids). Many other ICD-10 codes follow suit with new and revised code assignments, so you should update your list of the top 30 most common codes that you have been developing in preparation for the ICD-10 transition.

In addition, CMS has released a list of duplicate codes that show which ICD-10 descriptors are assigned to the exact same codes as an existing ICD-9 classification. For instance, if you look up the ICD-10 code for "Wilson's disease" and find that it's E83.01, you may notice that looks familiar. That's because ICD-9 code E83.01 is currently an active diagnosis code to represent a boat accident (which will eventually be coded using V90.89 under ICD-10). It is unclear whether CMS intends on replacing the ICD-10 codes that are repeated (with different meanings) under ICD-9 or whether they have simply pointed the duplicates out to make practices aware of the differences.

For more on the 2012 ICD-10 changes, visit www.cms.gov/ICD10/11b14_2012_ICD10CM_and_GEMs.asp.