ICD 10 Coding Alert

From extreme epistasis to dolphin bites, specificity is all important with ICD-10.Although continued efforts are underway to postpone this implementation, you should move forward assuming that the official startup on Oct. 1, 2013 will not be delayed, says certified ICD-10 instructor Caral Edelberg, CPC, CPMA, CAC, CCS-P, CHC; AHIMA, President, Edelberg Compliance Associates, Baton Rouge, LA. Read on for Edelberg's instruction on how ICD-10 will affect ED coding and tips for a smooth transition.Brush Up on Basic ICD-9, ICD-10 DifferencesICD-10-CM codes are the ones designated for use in documenting diagnoses. They are 3-7 characters in length and total 68,000, while ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are 3-5 digits in length and number over 14,000. The ICD-10-PCS are the procedure codes and they are alphanumeric, 7 characters in length, and total approximately 87,000, while ICD-9-CM procedure codes are only 3-4 numbers in length and total approximately 4,000 codes.Take a look at the following [...]