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Jerris Heaton


Medical Practices Must Prepare for 2017 Changes to ICD-10-CM

August 9, 2017


Clinician, EHR, Office Manager 3 Minute Read

On October 1, 2015, the ICD-10-CM code set supplanted the ICD-9-CM codes. In addition to the 3,651 approved changes made to the ICD-10 for the October 1, 2016 implementation, further changes to the ICD-10-CM code were set and several last-minute changes to the ICD-10-PCS code list were proposed at the ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee for the upcoming October 1, 2017 implementation. As of August 9th, 2017, 419 codes were added, 273 codes were revised codes and 123 codes are being deleted. These changes are effective from October 1st, 2017 to September 30th, 2018. Healthcare services are now tasked with updating their practice management, EHR, and other systems to reflect the multitude of additions, revisions, and deletions made to ICD-10 codes.

Practices currently using procedure codes that will be deleted must retrieve the new codes that represent the same procedures for billing. They must also become familiar with codes for new billing scenarios and revisions that add details to existing codes. ChartLogic has made the list of all changes available on our website. While 1,900 ICD-10-CM code changes were proposed for release in October 2017, only about half that number of changes was approved.

Categories With The Most Revisions

Many revisions occur under categories H54 “Blindness and low vision” and O00 “Ectopic pregnancy.” The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) requested many changes in the latter category, as they found it necessary to add new codes that recognize the increased incidence of some specific pregnancy complications occurring with the use of modern assisted reproductive technology. Starting October 1, 2017, you’ll also be able to select a specific ICD-10-CM code when a patient is in remission from abuse of each of a variety of substances. Other changes include new codes for Myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure, and non-procreative genetic counseling. Codes were deleted for anorectal abscesses and head injuries. Meanwhile, last year’s already-approved changes to the ICD-10-CM should help to increase the accuracy of medical coding.

According to Rhonda Buckholtz, AACP’s Vice President of Strategic Development, code changes have “added laterality as concepts that were previously missing” or have “added codes for conditions that appeared to be missing in the ICD-10-CM, such as pulsatile tinnitus.” Many reintroduce coding and providing options that had been available in ICD-9 but were missing in ICD-10.

Keep Your Codes Accurate With Our Coding Audit Service

To assist practices with transitioning to ICD-10, ChartLogic is offering a full Coding Audit Service in which our billing specialists will help practices effectively respond to all code changes and will audit all billing codes, including those that are not subject to changes, to help practices optimize billing.

Using correct ICD-10 codes in billing is critical for increasing accuracy and maximizing revenue in any medical practice. ChartLogic’s Coding Audit Service can help to ensure that you are making the best use of codes in your billing system. Alternatively, you may wish to leave billing tasks to the experts and utilize ChartLogic’s Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) service, which manages all billing externally and relieve that burden from your practice. To learn more about the updates to the ICD-10, or ChartLogic’s ICD-10 Audit and RCM services, please visit here today!

Sources:

  1. Dustman, Renee. “Prepare for Thousands of ICD-10 Code Changes.” American Association of Pharmaceutical Colleges. https://www.aapc.com. March 30, 2016.


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