CMS Releases ICD-10 Updates for 2012

Like it or not, but ICD-10 is just around. With more changes happening, and just over a year to prepare, it is time you start learning the new code set now.

The 2012 ICD-10 code update by CMS not only tells you the codes that have been added, deleted, or revised this year, but also gives information on the new diagnosis coding system.

Code Family Changes for Hemorrhoids and Others

In 2011, ICD-10 codes could be located in the I84 category (Diseases of veins, lymphatic vessels, and lymph nodes, not elsewhere classified), which spanned from I84.0 (Thrombosed hemorrhoids) through I84.6 (Residual hemorrhoidal skin tags).

In 2012, however, hemorrhoids are classified with "Diseases of the digestive system" (K00-K945), which can be found in chapter 11 of ICD-10.

You’ll find the ICD-10 codes for hemorrhoids now assigned to codes K64.0 (First degree hemorrhoids) through K64.9 (Unspecified hemorrhoids). Many other ICD-10 codes follow suit with new and revised code assignments.

Good Idea: Make a list of the top 30 — or more — most common codes that you see in your lab and update that list with the current ICD-10 information.

Check for duplicates: CMS also released a list of duplicate codes that tell you which ICD-10 descriptors are assigned to the exact same codes as an existing ICD-9 classification. For example, if you look up the ICD-10 code for "Wilson’s disease" and find that it’s E83.01, you’ll note that in ICD-9, E83.01 is currently an active diagnosis code to represent a boat accident (which will eventually be coded using V90.89 under ICD-10). It is unclear whether CMS intends on replacing the ICD-10 codes that are repeated (with different meanings) under ICD-9, or whether they have simply pointed out the duplicates to make practices aware of the differences.

For more on the 2012 ICD-10 changes, visit www.cms.gov/ICD10/11b14_2012_ICD10CM_and_GEMs.asp.