News: New diagnosis codes released by CDC with a focus on SDOH

Recently, the CDC listed the FY 2023 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code set and the Official Coding Guidelines, with 42 diagnosis code additions, seven deletions, and one code revision, which will be effective April 1, 2023. Amongst the additions is a new social determinants of health (SDOH) code, which will be used for reporting problems related to education and literacy, HealthLeaders reported.

Other codes added will update the verbiage used in critical perpetrator of abuse external cause codes, as well as a code for adult financial abuse, confirmed, initial encounter, and a code for child financial abuse, confirmed, initial encounter. The ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting now provide more examples in the SDOH section, and emphasize that the SDOH should connect directly to the episode of care.

With the increasing emphasis on SDOH, these updates don’t come as a surprise. As quality requirements under the SDoH health measure become mandatory in 2024 and reporting falls under a payment determination in 2026, organizations and their revenue cycle leaders will benefit from testing out workflows now.

Editor’s note: To read HealthLeader’s coverage of this story, click here. To read the FY 2023 ICD-10-CM code set, click here.