Nearly 500 codes – including the two new U codes for COVID-19 and vaping-related disorders – were finalized to be added to the ICD-10 code set.
 
In addition to the 490 new codes, this update also includes 47 revised codes and 58 codes deemed invalid. These updates are effective Oct. 1.
 
As included among the proposed codes in May, 12 new codes were finalized to capture other pathological fractures (M80.8AX- and M80.0AX-).
 
Industry experts noted that these codes will be helpful as there were currently no codes to capture a pathological fracture of a rib, which happens quite a bit in the home health demographic.
 
Also of note for home health are the proposed codes to capture stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) in three different stages.
 
The new codes are N18.30 (Chronic kidney disease, stage 3 unspecified), N18.31 (Chronic kidney disease, stage 3a) and N18.32 (Chronic kidney disease, stage 3b).
  
The final code update also contains 18 new, detailed codes for sickle cell anemia. The new codes specify complications related to the condition such as D57.213 (Sickle-cell/Hb-C disease with cerebral vascular involvement) and D57.431 (Sickle-cell thalassemia beta zero with acute chest syndrome).
 
Coders will also find 21 new codes that describe withdrawal from substances including alcohol, cocaine and opioids. For example, F10.932 (Alcohol use, unspecified with withdrawal with perceptual disturbance).
 
Notable tabular updates
  • Updates to Chapter 3 include additional codes to describe complications associated with sickle-cell and hemoglobin-C (Hb-C) diseases. For example, a note for new sickle-cell thalassemia code D57.418 (Sickle-cell thalassemia, unspecified, with crisis with other specified complication) instructs the coder to code any identified complications such as cholelithiasis (K80.-) or priapism (N48.32).
  • In chapter 6, “pseudotumor” has been added as a clarifying term to G93.2 (Benign intracranial hypertension) and coders are instructed to code G98.81- (intracranial hypotension) with G96.0 (Cerebrospinal fluid leak) when applicable.
  • You’ll find several headache-induced changes in chapter 18, including note to code facial pain NOS with new headache code R51.9 (Headache, unspecified).
For more details on the 2021 final code update, see upcoming issues of DecisionHealth newsletters.
 
Related link: To view the final code update, visit https://bit.ly/2CPgqIA.