2009-08-27

The compliance date for implementation of the International Classification of Diseases 10th Edition (ICD-10-CM/PCS) is October 1, 2013. It is not too early to start planning for this change from your current system, which utilizes ICD-9. ICD-10 has an expanded number of codes and differences in the code structure compared to ICD-9. As a result, medical documentation may need to be increased to support the detailed coding. In addition, there could be an initial increase in denials due to coding errors, or coding could take longer. These changes will be beneficial in the long term for data gathering on health care. The recommendation for small practices is to allow six to eight months for a successful implementation.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing several resources to help with the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 including:

• ICD-10-CM-PCS Bookmark (revised August 2009), which provides information about the ICD-10-Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System including the benefits of adopting the coding system, recommended steps to be taken in order to plan and prepare for implementation of the coding system, and where additional information about the coding system can be found.
• The revised publication ICD-10-CM/PCS: An Introduction Fact Sheet (August 2009) is now available from CMS Medicare Learning Network. This fact sheet provides general information about the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) including benefits of adopting the new coding system, structural differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS, and implementation planning recommendations.

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