Over 1K Diagnosis Codes Finalized for October 1

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released 1,176 new ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes for implementation on October 1.

A total of 1,176 new diagnosis codes were recently finalized within the fiscal year (FY) 2023 ICD-10-CM code update. The CDC also posted the FY 2023 coding guidelines along with the code update which will take effect October 1.

In addition to the 1,176 new codes, the update also includes 28 codes that had revisions to their descriptors, and 287 codes deemed invalid.

One example of a code description revision is in the diagnosis code for dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere without behavioral disturbance. The diagnosis code description for this diagnosis will be revised to “dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, unspecified severity, without behavioral disturbance, psychotic disturbance, mood disturbance, and anxiety.”

As for the updated coding guidelines, a new guideline was added for the assignment of dementia which states that selection of the appropriate severity level (unspecified, mild, moderate, or severe) “requires the provider’s clinical judgment and codes should be assigned only on the basis of provider documentation unless otherwise instructed by the classification. If the documentation does not provide information about the severity of the dementia, assign the appropriate code for unspecified severity.”

The coding department is one of the most critical parts of the revenue cycle. Because coding occurs mid-cycle, it provides an opportunity to catch errors introduced earlier in the process, as well as preventing similar errors in the future.

Staying abreast of these regulatory coding updates is important for revenue cycle leaders as coding—and its completeness and accuracy—has a profound impact on an organization's bottom line.