Radiology Coding Alert

Tip: 434.10 isn't the only ICD-9 code that crosses to this range.Did you hear the news? On April 9, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced a proposed rule that includes a possible new ICD-10 implementation date: Oct. 1, 2014.This information about the proposed one-year delay is in the April 9 press release, "New Health Care Law Provisions Cut Red Tape, Save Up to $4.6 Billion," at www.cms.gov/apps/media/press_releases.asp. Make the most of the delay by ensuring your preparations are on target. Be sure to focus on codes with increased specificity requirements, like the cerebral embolism codes described below.Cerebral embolism refers to occlusion or obstruction of a cerebral vessel by a blood clot or foreign material.ICD-9-CM Code434.10, Cerebral embolism without cerebral infarctionICD-10-CM Code RangeI66.--, Occlusion and stenosis of cerebral arteries, not resulting in cerebral infarctionICD-9 coding rules: In ICD-9, there is a single code for cerebral [...]