ICD-10 Codes Are Coming to a Chiropractic Practice Near You!

The rollout of the ICD-10 codes to replace the ICD-9 will begin soon.  ICD-10 codes are more than just an updated version of the old ICD-9 codes.  These new codes will allow for a much more detailed explanation of diagnosis and treatment procedure of an affected area.  It will also be able to describe laterality.  Check out the linked page for an idea of the differences, note especially the chart at the very bottom, which gives a breakdown of each part of the code. This first comparison table is taken from the AMA’s pdf and gives a detailed comparison of the old codes, with the new ones coming soon!

The following table provides a comparison of the features of the ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis code sets.
Table 1 – Comparisons of the Diagnosis Code Sets
ICD-9                                                ICD-10
3-5 characters in length                        3-7 characters in length
Approximately 13,000 codes                      Approximately 68,000 available codes
                                                Digit 1 is alpha; digits 2 and 3 are numeric;
                                                digits 4-7 are alpha or numeric
First digit may be alpha (E or V) or numeric;
digits 2-5 are numeric
Limited space for adding new codes              Flexible for adding new codes
Lacks detail                                    Very specific
Lacks laterality                                Has laterality (i.e., codes identifying right vs.
                                                left)

Find out more, including the roll out dates in this PDF from the AMA:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/399/icd10-icd9-differences-fact-sheet.pdf

Practically Yours,

the PracticalCA

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