Each year updates are developed to the ICD-10 codes used across healthcare settings. The codes serve as a sort of common language in healthcare that allows anyone who understands the codes to quickly know a patient’s diagnosis. On October 1, the 2023 ICD-10 code updates went into effect and they included several important changes for home health providers to stay compliant.
To make it easier to identify what’s new in this year’s release, Axxess partnered with MAC Legacy for a webinar discussion highlighting the updates. Mike Carr, PT-COS-C Senior Product Manager with Axxess, and Nanette Minton, RN HCS-D, HCS-H, HCS-O, Senior Clinical Coding Manager with MAC Legacy, detailed the information and explained the clinical impact.
The Update Process
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coordination and Maintenance Committee meets twice a year to hear proposals to update ICD-10 codes. The process is intricate and ranges from the creation of new codes to adjustments to existing codes.
Not all new codes apply to every setting of healthcare or are applicable to every clinician, but Minton stressed that it’s important to get a comprehensive understanding of the codes to ensure accurate coding and quality patient care. One of the biggest changes she highlighted are new codes for Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s versus Parkinsonism
This year’s updates include new ICD-10 codes that distinguish between Parkinson’s and Parkinsonism.
“Parkinson’s disease is that really progressive neurodegenerative disease,” said Minton. “Parkinsonism is really a general term that refers to a group of neurological disorders that cause movement problems.”
Minton also highlighted the significance of understanding the “on state” and “off states” or “off episodes”, explaining that these terms refer to periods of good motor function followed by periods when symptoms re-emerge. Knowing and properly coding for these fluctuations can be crucial in treating patients with Parkinson’s or Parkinsonism.
Other Notable ICD-10 Updates
The session also covered other changes in various chapters of the coding system, including diseases of the nervous system, diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the skin, and diseases of the genitourinary system.
“I am so happy that we finally now have a code for osteoporotic fractures of the pelvis,” said Minton. She went on to say, “We’ve got codes for caregiver noncompliance, as well as [the ability to] document the family history of colon polyps.”
To watch the entire webinar discussion about the ICD-10 coding updates, click here.
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