News: CMS adds certain ICD-10-CM complication codes to 2017 excluded list

Providers should already be aware they will have to report more specific ICD-10-CM codes when CMS ends its grace period for physicians later this year, but the agency will also be excluding certain unspecified codes from reporting in 2017.

According to a recent technical alert, CMS is adding the following ICD-10-CM codes to its list of excluded codes—which means CMS won’t reimburse for them—beginning January 2, 2017:

• T88.7XXA, unspecified adverse effect of drug or medicament, initial encounter
• T88.7XXD, unspecified adverse effect of drug or medicament, subsequent encounter
• T88.7XXS, unspecified adverse effect of drug or medicament, sequela
• T88.8XXA, other specified complications of surgical and medical care, not elsewhere
• classified, initial encounter
• T88.8XXD, other specified complications of surgical and medical care, not elsewhere
• classified, subsequent encounter
• T88.8XXS, other specified complications of surgical and medical care, not elsewhere
• classified, sequela
• T88.9XXA, complication of surgical and medical care, unspecified, initial encounter
• T88.9XXD, complication of surgical and medical care, unspecified, subsequent encounter
• T88.9XXS, complication of surgical and medical care, unspecified, sequela

The agency is also excluding ICD-9-CM code 999.9 (other and unspecified complications of medical care, not elsewhere classified), which may be on claims for patient encounters before the October 1, 2015, ICD-10 implementation date. 

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Just Coding.