ICD-10 Hub: Additional Codes Provide Multiple Benefits

The transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 shouldn’t be too much, according to AAPC ICD-10 trainer Donna Stewart, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CHCO in a recent article for ICD-10 Hub. “ICD-10-CM is similar to ICD-9-CM in many ways … (but there are )[m]any improvements.”

“For example, many combination codes have been established to report both the disease and its common symptoms or current manifestation (i.e., toxic liver disease with chronic active hepatitis),” adds Stewart. “ICD-9 CM would require a minimum of two codes to report these conditions. ICD-10-CM allows for simplified coding, sometimes requiring fewer codes submitted on a claim form.”