2016 ICD-10-CM Code Changes
Cardiologists, Nephrologists and Neurologists specialties will be the hardest hit with the 2016 ICD-10-CM Code Changes that will go into effect October 1, 2015. ICD-10 increases in specificity and more complexity in most of the cases and not in just the greater number of codes, which means some specialties could experience a more difficult transition compared to others. Drastic changes to some of the most common codes would be seen in cardiology, nephrology and neurology.
ICD-10 Codes for Cardiologists
In cardiology not only there will be code changes, but there will be some definition changes as well. For eg: The acute phase of myocardial infarction changes from 8 weeks to 4 weeks in ICD-10 unlike ICD-9.So its very important to notice and keep in mind about these changes in definitions. Another example is the ICD-9 code 410.00 (Acute Myocardial Infarction of the anterolateral wall) ?for an unspecified episode of care.? In ICD-10, this converts to I21.09, this doesn?t address episode of care at all. CMS has removed some codes specifying episode of care. In case of combination codes, atherosclerotic heart disease of native coronary artery with angina pectoris requires two separate codes in ICD-9, but in ICD-10 it requires a combination code I25.11.
ICD -10 Codes for Nephrologists
There will be a need to use multiple codes for Nephrologists for diabetic Chronic Kidney Disease. One code indicates the type of diabetes with Chronic Kidney Disease and the other indicates the stage of Chronic Kidney Disease. ICD-10 will require more information on type and origin of acute renal failure. Acute Renal Failure Unspecified translates directly from ICD-9 code 584.9 to ICD-10 N17.9. Also, ICD-10 will require more precision to distinguish among acute renal failure with tubular necrosis, acute cortical necrosis or medullary necrosis.
ICD-10 Codes for Neurologists
For many common conditions, neurologists will see a one-to-one conversion of a general condition code.
For example, Alzheimer?s disease moves from ICD-9 code 331.0 to ICD-10 code G30.9 Alzheimer?s disease, Unspecified. After that, ICD-10 gets more complex.
For Alzheimer?s disease, ICD-10 offers 3 new coding options:
- Alzheimer?s disease with early onset 0
- Alzheimer?s disease with late onset 1and
- Other Alzheimer?s disease 8
The same pattern emerges with organic sleep apnea 327.20. Organic Sleep Apnea, Unspecified becomes G47.30 Sleep Apnea, Unspecified under ICD-10.
But then CMS adds 8 more ICD-10 codes, including specific codes for
- Primary Central Sleep Apnea 31,
- Pediatric/Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea 33 and
- Idiopathic Sleep Related Nonobstructive Alveolar Hypoventilation 34
Migraines ICD-10 codes, similarly, gain complexity. For example, ICD-9 code 346.90 ?Migraine, Unspecified, Without Mention of Intractable Migraine Without Mention of Status Migrainosus? becomes ICD-10?s G43.909 ?Migraine, Unspecified, Not Intractable, Without Status Migrainosus.? But CMS provides ten additional ICD-10 codes in this category, including:
- Migraine with Aura, Not Intractable, Without Status Migrainosus 109
- Hemiplegic Migraine, Not Intractable, Without Status Migrainosus409
- Menstrual Migraine, Not Intractable, Without Status Migrainosus 829