Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement
Check Out Critical 2024 ICD-10-CM Updates
Review new options in neurology, cardiology, and more. With hundreds of new diagnosis codes set to take effect on Oct. 1, it’s crunch time. If you haven’t started studying the pending updates, read on for some highlights to ensure you’re ready on day one. Nuts and bolts: The ICD-10-CM code set update for fiscal year (FY) 2024 adds 395 new codes, deletes 25 existing codes, and revises 22 codes (nine of which are to the short title only). There are also 131 new headers and four revised headers. From a coding aspect, keep in mind that providers care for patients diagnosed with a variety of conditions — and that’s why a comprehensive knowledge of the different options is critical. Instead of focusing on specific sections of ICD-10-CM like subspecialty coders might, you should spend time looking through all the changes since any diagnosis might cross your desk, advises Kelly D. Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CANPC, CHCA, CPC, CPC-I, owner of Perfect Office Solutions in Leesburg, Florida. Here’s an overview of key changes you should be familiar with before the calendar flips to Oct. 1, 2023. Navigate New Neurology-Related Codes ICD-10-CM 2024 introduces 24 new codes to Chapter 6: Diseases of the Nervous System. Many of the new codes added will enable the identification of known conditions with improved specificity. Parkinson’s disease: The updates include five new codes to report Parkinson’s disease (G20), which will boost code specificity by adding information about dyskinesia and fluctuations. G20.A- (Parkinson’s disease without dyskinesia) G20.B- (Parkinson’s disease with dyskinesia) G20.C (Parkinsonism, unspecified) Analysis: Remarkably, G20 was the only code for Parkinson’s disease in the ICD-10-CM code book before 2024. These updates will make Parkinson’s coding more specific by adding information about dyskinesia and fluctuations. “Greater specificity in Parkinson’s disease is helpful in tracking treatments of this condition. Given that Parkinson’s disease has several manifestations in a patient’s condition and function, greater granularity in the diagnosis codes will help track how the various manifestations of Parkinson’s disease respond to various treatments,” explains Gregory Przybylski, MD, chairman of neuroscience at the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute, JFK University Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. Any expansion of the Parkinson’s codes is a positive, he adds. Delve Into New Cardiovascular Disease Options Angina is a common ailment that may be indicative of underlying coronary microvascular dysfunction. This condition is associated with significantly higher rates of major adverse cardiac events, according to code requester Abbott Laboratories Inc. Several new codes were created to track these cardiac conditions. Also in Chapter 9, Diseases of the Circulatory System, new codes are added for myocardial infarction (I21.B), resistant hypertension (I1A.0), and supraventricular tachycardia (I47.10-I47.19). There are additional tabular modifications in this chapter related to the addition of these codes and several code revisions. Boost Osteoporosis Coding With New Dx Codes The first codes that Medicare practices may want to take a look at are in the osteoporosis code set, specifically, the osteoporosis with pathological fracture diagnoses. Remember: A pathological fracture is a type of fracture that occurs in a bone that has been weakened by an underlying disease or condition. It is different from a typical fracture that occurs due to trauma or injury. In a pathological fracture, the bone breaks more easily because it has been compromised by an existing condition, such as osteoporosis or a tumor. These are the new osteoporosis codes that will premiere in 2024: 7th character alert: When these codes require you to code all the way to the 7th character, you’ll choose from these options: Zero In on Z Code Additions Chapter 21, Factors Influencing Health Status and Contact with Health Services, exhibits the fourth-highest number of changes, with 30 new additions and six codes converted to parent. Don’t forget: Z codes are critical to painting a complete picture of the patient’s circumstances and help gather data on treatment efficacy and the true cost of care. The newly introduced Z codes encompass various aspects such as personal history of military service, newborn observation for suspected conditions ruled out, carriers of bacteria (Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacterales), family history of certain colonic polyps, and caregiver noncompliance. Don’t miss: Other diagnosis code updates for 2024 include:
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