Staying on top of the changes to the ICD-10-CM code system is crucial for health systems. Without up-to-date knowledge, revenue cycles can easily be disrupted due to denied or delayed reimbursements when outdated codes are used.
To help prevent these problems, we’ve highlighted five key takeaways from the 2023 ICD-10-CM updates, which became effective October 1, 2022.
The ICD-10-CM system continues to grow each year, with the most recent update adding 1,179 new codes, 287 code deletions, and 28 code revisions. There are now 73,639 total codes in the ICD-10-CM system.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) continue to be recognized as a priority throughout healthcare, and the ICD-10-CM system is no different. This year’s update included several new Z-codes covering SDOH situations such as transportation insecurity (Z59.82), patient or caregiver noncompliance (Z91.11- and Z91A-), and material hardship (Z59.87).
COVID-19 still has an influence in the coding world, with some symptoms of long Covid being more formally recognized with codes this year. Code G93.3-, Postviral and related fatigue syndromes, captures instances of chronic fatigue after viral infections like COVID-19.
A new code in the behavioral health section, F43.81 represents Prolonged grief disorder. This is a disorder of intense, prolonged symptoms of grief coupled with clinically significant functional impairment that persists for over a year after a loss. Prolonged grief disorder is also new in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revised (DSM-5-TR).
Finally, as transportation methods such as e-bikes continue to gain popularity around the country, new codes for accidents resulting from operating such vehicles have been put in place. Codes V20-V29, Motorcycle rider injured in transport accident now have subsets that include e-bikes, motor scooters, motorcycles with sidecars, mopeds, or motorized bicycles as the mode of transportation involved.
