HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT NEWS
National Implementation of ICD-10 Coding starts today.
Today is a big day in history for the Health Information Management arena as the ICD-10 coding data set is being implemented nationwide. The United States is fifteen years behind the World Health Organization in utilizing ICD-10. Our health care reimbursement system is linked to our coding systems so implementation was a bigger challenge and has set us back from other industrialized nations to make the change. Congress has delayed implementation twice in the last four years, but we are now on a clear path.
ICD-10 will enhance coding by:
- Expanding from 21,000 codes in ICD-9 to 141,000 codes in ICD-10
- Specificity and detail in the codes (example: a leg laceration from a marine animal bite while swimming can now be coded as a right lower leg laceration from a dolphin bite in the ocean while swimming)
- Allowance for more accurate reimbursement of the services rendered in health care settings
- Creation of an estimated 20-25 % new jobs along with raising the required skill sets to do the job
- BONUS! If you are sucked in by a jet engine we can code it!
