Wiki ICD-9 vs 10?

[annevan1213]

I have a friend who wants to begin learning coding. She is looking into schools and on-line programs. She is asking my recommendations and wanting to purchase books. Should I suggest that she get the ICD-( and CPT books for 2014 as well as the ICD-10 and PCS? or forget 9 all together and just focus on 10?

 

[MnTwins29]

Best to wait until...

she decides which school or training curiciulum she chooses as there are different philiosophies on which one to teach. One example - I teach a beginning adult ed course, and for the class that starts soon after the new year, I am going to be teaching mostly 9 with a few class sessions on 10. The logic behind it that is give by the school admins is that when this class is over and the graduates are on the job market, 9 will still be in use and many places are not training coders in 10 extensively until we get even closer. That makes sense to me, but I also understand places that want to train exclusively in 10, especially colleges in which a student may not be looking for a job until after 10/1/14 if he or she is graduating after that date.

The other thought, though, to keep in the back of your mind, teachers and students - not EVERY payer has to use 10 as the coding system. Third-party liability carriers are an example of payers who may still use 9 as their coding system - therefore a little knowledge of that as well will be helpful. However, if a student is good at 10, then I believe he or she should be fine with 9 as well. That is my opinion and I will be interested to here what others think.

Lance