Change. It’s a constant in medical coding, and there is plenty of it for fiscal year 2022: 159 new ICD-10-CM codes, 25 ICD-10-CM code deletions, and 27 ICD-10-CM code revisions that took effect October 1. You can view the changes on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. While you’re at it, be sure to also view the most updated ICD-10-CM coding guidelines that provide 115 pages of rules to follow when assigning these and other codes.
When medical coders take the time to review these changes and disseminate important information to providers, they not only ensure that the practice is paid correctly (think: value-based payments in particular)—they also ensure data integrity that promotes patient trust.
With that said, the sheer volume of annual ICD-10-CM coding changes makes them daunting, and many busy medical coders may not have the time to dig into every detail. That’s why we’ve provided a few important highlights to consider:
When reviewing the Fiscal Year 2022 ICD-10-CM coding guidelines, focus on the text in bold that represents new information. For example, did you know that when a patient’s provider doesn’t document laterality, you can assign it based on medical record documentation from other clinicians? Or that there are specific rules to follow when patients have a sequela of COVID-19?
Effective April 1, 2022, medical practices can start reporting three new ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for vaccination status: (Z28.310 [unvaccinated for COVID-19], Z28.311 [partially vaccinated for COVID-19], and Z28.39 [other underimmunization status]). There’s also a new place of service (POS) code effective April 4, 2022, (POS code 10) that providers must use when patients with Medicare are in their home while receiving telehealth services.
Consider these tips:
Lisa A. Eramo, MA is a freelance healthcare writer who specializes in healthcare reimbursement, health information management, value-based care, and patient engagement. She contributes bylined articles to various healthcare trade publications and also assists clients with healthcare content marketing. You can reach her at lisa@lisaeramo.com or by visiting www.lisaeramo.com.