Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Plus: MACs to increase minimum dollar amounts for appeals in 2015

You’ve heard there won’t be an ICD-10 book that you can keep on your desk because the abundance of codes would make a book too thick—but is that tale true? Actually, no—it’s one of many ICD-10 myths that CMS hopes to dispel with its latest publication, called ICD-10-CM/PCS Myths and Facts.

Indeed, hard copies of the ICD-10 code book are already available and don’t take up more space than your current coding books, CMS says in the document. If you prefer leafing through a book over checking codes online, you’ll still get to handle business as usual when ICD-10 takes effect next October.

Likewise, CMS dispels the myth that you’ll have to scrap your CPT® knowledge when ICD-10 kicks in, since many providers erroneously believe that ICD-10-PCS will replace CPT®. In actuality, however, ICD-10-PCS will only be used for facility reporting of inpatient procedures, and won’t impact Part B providers’ use of CPT®.

Resource: To read the complete document, visit www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/Downloads/ICD-10MythsandFacts.pdf.