LogixHealth, a provider of internet and software enabled coding, billing, analytics and management services for hospital and physician practices, has analyzed the recently released ICD-10 code changes.
Here are six quick facts.
1. A partial freeze that significantly limited changes to the ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets in the lead up to the implementation of ICD-10 is now coming to a close.
2. The last regular, annual updates to the ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets were in 2011. Subsequently, on Oct. 1 of each of the last four years (2012-2015), there were only limited updates released, each of which had to be related to the capture of new technologies or diseases, according to a news release. Code requests unrelated to new technologies or diseases were delayed for consideration after Oct. 1, 2016, once the ICD-10 transition had been completed and the partial freeze had ended.
3. As of Oct. 1, 2016, there will be 75,625 valid ICD-10-PCS codes, which includes 3,651 newly added codes and 487 revised code titles.
4. Most of the newly added codes — 97 percent — are cardiovascular system codes.
5. Of the new cardiovascular system codes, 84 percent are related to codes for multiple intraluminal devices.
6. Other new codes include those related to lower extremity joints, allowing for more detailed surgical descriptions, and the addition of unique unicondylar knee replacement codes.
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