News: Coding changes on the horizon; CMS starts clearing ICD-10 code freeze backlog

3,600 new procedure codes. 1,900 new diagnosis codes. 487 code revisions. That’s what’s being proposed for the 2017 fiscal year following CMS’ ICD-10-CM/PCS Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting in early March, founding ACDIS board member Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, explained in a recent article on ICD-10 Monitor.

 

“What we’re seeing is really a clearing of the backlog with what amounts the proposal of changes to several thousand codes,” says ACDIS Director Brian Murphy.

 

Some big changes related to ongoing CDI efforts include adding West Haven criteria for hepatic encephalopathy and type II demand mediated myocardial infarction.

 

“I really just think it is so exciting that the freeze is lifted,” says ACDIS Advisory Board member Mark LeBlanc during the March 30 ACDIS Radio program. “We all knew that ICD-10 was just the starting point and that there would be lots of changes needed and fixes to be made, so it’s exciting that they’re going to hit the ground running and get these going.