Radiology Coding Alert

Prepare to welcome new codes, additions, and deletions this October.

The CDC has posted a preliminary list of ICD-10-CM changes for October 1 (aka ICD-10-CM 2017), and just in case you don’t want to sort through about 2,000 new codes, here are some new codes of relevance to interventional radiology practices.

The five-year freeze that coders and providers have enjoyed with the ICD-10 system is about to end on Oct. 1, 2016. You can anticipate significant changes going by the information CMS released for public review. If accepted, alterations will include the following:

• 1,943 new codes, 422 revisions, and 305 deletions for ICD-10-CM
• 3,651 new codes, 351 revisions, and 313 deletions for ICD-10-PCS.

Plus: The ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee reviewed proposals for updating ICD-10-CM and PCS. If approved, these would be included in the Oct. 1, 2017, classification system addenda for FY 2018.

Updates allow new or revised codes to encompass recent advances and trends in healthcare. The new codes have arrived sooner than many experts expected.

The committee reviewed 24 diagnosis proposals, such as:

• Congenital sacral dimple: The American Academy of Pediatrics proposed a new congenital code so this condition can be accurately tracked.
• Zika virus was discussed, regarding a new code being created. NCHS/CDC is proposing it for inclusion in the 10/1/16 addenda which would be consistent with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Prepare to Embrace New Codes

In table 1 are listed some new codes of interest. Below is what is new in ICD-10.

1. Step Up Specificity for Aneurysm: ICD-10-CM will likely offer a couple of new options that will allow you to be more specific in your artery aneurysm coding.

2. Be precise for dissection codes: Artery dissection will probably see more specific options in October, as well, with additions to I77.7- (Other arterial dissection).

3. Look at New Congenital Aorta Anomaly Options

If your patients include those with congenital anomalies, you may appreciate the expected addition of a variety of aorta codes, says Christina Neighbors, MA, CPC, CCC, Coding Quality Auditor for Conifer Health Solutions, Coding Quality & Education Department.

The next grouping gives you 10 codes in place of Q25.4 (Other congenital malformations of aorta). See Table 1 for these new codes. You also can expect to see a new option for a rare genetic disorder with Q87.82 (Arterial tortuosity syndrome).

4. See what’s New for Stent Stenosis: Last but certainly not least, you can anticipate new options to report vascular stent stenosis with the new codes listed in table 1. This should be a useful addition, Neighbors says.

Start preparing: In the next few months, make sustained efforts to refine ICD-10 coding practices. Enlist the revisions relevant to your practice and train your staff.

Be warned: The list is not yet final. The CDC will post the final addendum in June.

Resource: To review the complete list, head to ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Publications/ICD10CM/2017/NewICD10CMCodes_FY2017.txt. 

Stay tuned: We’ll keep you posted once the final addendum comes out. The final addenda with additions/ revisions will be published in June at www.cms.hhs.gov. You can find the ICD-10-CM addendum at www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd10cm.htm. “The code lists that have been posted on the CMS and CDC websites are NOT the final list. The Addenda to be published in June is the complete, final list of code changes going into effect this October,” says Sue Bowman, MJ, RHIA, CCS, FAHIMA, Senior Director of Coding Policy and Compliance at AHIMA.

Editor’s note: Watch this space for updates in the next few issues of Radiology Coding Alert.