MDS Alert

Proposed ICD-9-CM codes for Oct. 1 would allow you to identify pressure ulcer stages. Currently, when you choose a 707.0x code for a pressure ulcer, you can indicate the site of the ulcer but not the stage. But with the proposed changes, you'll be able to indicate the stage with the following new codes:

• 707.21 (Pressure ulcer, stage I);

• 707.22 (Pressure ulcer, stage II);

• 707.23 (Pressure ulcer, stage III); and

• 707.24 (Pressure ulcer, stage IV).

These new codes will better identify the level of care required by the clinician, says Shelley C. Safian, MAOM/HSM, CCS-P, CPC-H, CHA, program director and instructor with Herzig College in Longwood, FL.

Diabetes: Also proposed are 20 long-awaited new codes to represent secondary diabetes conditions (249.00-249.91). This is an acknowledgement that other underlying conditions can create a diabetic situation, says Safian. These conditions include cystic fibrosis, malignant neoplasms particularly of the pancreas, chronic pancreatitis, Cushing's syndrome, prescribed medication for other conditions such as corticosteroid therapy, and genetic disorders.

Oncology codes: The 2009 ICD-9-CM manual could feature an entirely new section, if the proposed codes are made final this August.