A medical billing and coding specialist should know the various code and terms in this field. The ICD codes are very important for a coding specialist and refer to the International Statistical Classifications of Diseases.
These are the alphanumeric designation given to every disease description of symptoms and cause of death attributed to humans. These classifications are designed and monitored by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Significance of ICD to Patients
There is a code, a numbered designation for each diagnosis given to a human being. It means every medical professional in any part of the world will understand the same meaning for a particular code. For instance, if a person is diagnosed with GERD, the acid reflux will be given the code 530.81, and if the patient travels to any part of the country and needs to see a doctor for heartburn, he will put some code on his record.
Importance of ICD for a medical billing and coding specialist
For a professional medical coder, you need to know the ICD codes for proper diagnosis. It is required for screening the general population’s health, correct reimbursement, and ensure the smooth running of the medical facility. Moreover, you need to understand the codes and their differences.
ICD 9 and ICD 10
From October 2013, ICD-9 codes will be permanently replaced by ICD-10 codes set throughout the United States. According to the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), there are many similarities and differences between these two code sets.
As of October 2013, the ICD-10 code set will permanently replace the ICD-9 code set as the industry-wide coding system throughout the U.S. According to the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), while there are some differences between the ICD-10 and the ICD-9, there are also many things that are the same. Some of the three similarities include guidelines, conventions, and rules. The transition from ICD9 to ICD-10 is not difficult for those who know how to code ICD-9. However, it is important to understand the key differences two code sets.
Differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10
The ICD-9 coding set is made from 3-5 digits, while in the ICD-10 coding set, there will be alphanumeric codes with 3-7 numbers. These extra characters in the code will give the facility additional information concerning the type of disease, the severity of the disease, and anatomy. In ICD-9-CM, there are about 13,600 codes, while there will be 69,000 codes in ICD-10.
Moreover, ICD-10-CM codes will tell about the disease and how a particular illness is manifested. This new coding system will affect your way of working, technology, and software. Actually, in the ICD-9 coding system, there are a few lacks or gaps regarding specific information. This is why ICD-10-CM is designed to fill those gaps in knowledge and provide more information. In a comparison of ICD-9 codes, codes in ICD-10 are longer, and hence it is possible to more codes in the future.
In short, ICD 10 to ICD 9 offers more details, better terminology, and expanded concepts such as laterality, injuries, and other related factors. If you are a Medical billing and coding professional, it is better to prepare yourself soon.