News: CMS releases 2018 ICD-10-CM codes for October 1 implementation

CMS released the final 2018 ICD-10-CM code set for October 1 implementation this week. The update includes codes relating to cardiac conditions, substances, and myocardial infarctions (MI)—to name a few.

All in all, there are 360 new, 142 deleted and 226 revised diagnosis codes in the final 2018 update posted to CMS’ website June 13. The final 2018 ICD-10-CM codes include 322 more changes than what was released in the 2018 IPPS proposed rule in April.

Explanatory information included with the substance abuse remission codes will classify the severity of the use as mild, moderate, or severe to better coordinate ICD-10-CM coding with the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Other changes to the code set include:

• MI codes added. New codes for myocardial infarction type 2 (I21.A1) and other myocardial infarction type (I21.A9) mean you will need to take into consideration the type of MI the patient is having. A type 2 MI describes a myocardial infarction due to demand ischemia. In addition, notes added under ST-elevation MI codes (I21.0-I21.4) clarify that the condition is a type 1 MI.
• Heart failure gets new codes. The code set has new codes for various types of right heart failure, including acute (I50.811), chronic (I50.812), acute on chronic (I50.813), and unspecified (I50.810). You’ll also have new codes to report for right heart failure due to left heart failure (I50.814), biventricular heart failure (I50.82), high-output heart failure (I50.83) and end-stage heart failure (I50.84) for patients with an advanced form of the disease who no longer respond to medication.
• Antenatal screening codes expand reporting options. Practices will be able to report specific screening tests administered to pregnant patients, such as fetal growth retardation and chromosomal abnormalities with 17 new Z-series codes.
• Non-procreative genetic counseling visits will be coded with Z71.83.

The final code set includes more than 100 deletions that were not in the proposed code set, including a reversal on new codes. Here are the highlights of those changes:

• Three anorectal abscess codes for horseshoe, ischiorectal, and supralevator abscesses were issued in the proposed code set but were not included with the final codes.
• The head injury section of Chapter 19 will lose 68 subsequent encounter and sequela codes. One example is S06.2X7D (diffuse traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness of any duration with death due to brain injury prior to regaining consciousness, subsequent encounter). Because the code indicates the patient died, the concept of follow-up care did not make sense for the codes.
• Deletion of 36 thumb subluxation and dislocation codes. The codes represent initial and subsequent encounters, as well as sequela.

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Revenue Cycle Advisor. To read an article by Boot Camp Instructor Allen Frady, RN, BSN, CCDS, CCS, on relevant code change proposals for CDI and coders, click here.