In this part, the ICD-10-PCS procedure codes are presented. For FY2021 ICD-10-PCS there are 78,115 total codes (FY2020 total was 77,571); 556 new codes (734 new last year in FY2020)…
In June CMS released the final ICD-10-PCS codes for FY2022, which begins October 1, 2021. We are giving you a sneak peek at the changes. HIA will have a full educational module on these changes available later this summer.
In this series we will explore the CPT changes for FY2021 and include examples to help the coder understand the new codes. For 2021 in general, there were 199 new CPT codes added, 54 deleted and 69 revised.
In January, new CPT codes were released. There were 248 new CPT codes added, 71 deleted and 75 revised. Most of the surgery section changes were in the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular subsections. These included procedures such as skin grafting, breast biopsies, deep drug delivery systems, tricuspid valve repairs, aortic grafts and repair of iliac artery.
No, uncontrolled and poorly controlled are not interchangeable when describing diabetes in ICD-10-CM. Uncontrolled can mean either hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia and is indexed as such in ICD-10-CM. Poorly controlled means hyperglycemia per the ICD-10-CM index.
The term “uncontrolled” is not synonymous with hyperglycemia. The term “poorly controlled” is synonymous with hyperglycemia when referring to diabetes in ICD-10-CM.
Spinal procedure coding can be daunting for coders. The spine itself can be quite complicated anatomically and the procedures done to address spinal conditions can be even more complicated!
If the documentation is not clear, query the provider for clarification whether the patient has hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia so that the appropriate code may be reported; uncontrolled diabetes indicates that the patient's blood sugar is not at an acceptable level, because it is either too high or too low.
Same thing goes for Hypoglycemia. the index will lead you to either E11.65, or E11.649.
Currently, only " out of control" and "poorly controlled" diabetes mellitus are coded as diabetes with hyperglycemia. Answer: There is no default code for " uncontrolled diabetes.". Effective October 1, 2016, uncontrolled diabetes is classified by type and whether it is hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
When you look up uncontrolled diabetes the results are all over the place and there is no overwhelming agreement that uncontrolled is in fact hyperglycemia. Therefore until the guidelines or the classification directs us that uncontrolled diabetes and hyperglycemia are interchangeable terms, then I must believe that the provider needs to document the hyperglycemia explicitly.
The thought behind E11.65 is that the terms "uncontrolled" and "out of control" have the same meaning. When you look in the alpha index under diabetes, out of control, ( page 95) , it directs you to code "Diabetes, specificed type, with hyperglycemia" which would take you to E11.65.
Diabetes mellitus codes are no longer classified as controlled or uncontrolled. Instead ICD-10-CM classifies inadequately controlled, out of control, and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus by type with hyperglycemia.
However there is no corroboration with any resource. The ICD-10 CM classification does not make this statement at all. You are given a choice of a code for diabetes with hyperglycemia, or diabetes with hypoglycemia. However at no time is there a reference in the classification that directs the coder to coded uncontrolled diabetes with either of these choices.
Follow the instructions in the Tabular List of ICD-10-CM for proper sequencing of these diagnosis codes. For example, if a patient has secondary diabetes as a result of Cushing’s syndrome and no other manifestations, report code E24.9 Cushing’s syndrome, unspecified, followed by E08.9 Diabetes mellitus due to underlying condition without manifestations. If a patient is diagnosed with secondary diabetes due to the adverse effects of steroids, report codes E09.9 Drug or chemical induced diabetes without complications and T38.0X5A Adverse effect of glucocorticoids and synthetic analogues, initial encounter.
Codes for gestational diabetes are in subcategory O24.4. These codes include treatment modality — diet alone, oral hypoglycemic drugs, insulin — so you do not need to use an additional code to specify medication management. Do not assign any other codes from category O24 with the O24.4 subcategory codes.
In patients with type 2 diabetes, problems begin when the cells in their body start to not respond to insulin as well as they should. This is called insulin resistance, which causes high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). The pancreas responds by making more insulin to try and manage the hyperglycemia, but eventually, the pancreas can’t keep up and blood sugar levels rise. Left uncontrolled, the disease progresses into prediabetes and, eventually, type 2 diabetes. This is the most common type of diabetes and is initially treated with lifestyle modification including a healthy diet and exercise. If these measures are not effective, treatment generally starts with an oral hypoglycemic agent. If better control is needed, injectable medications or insulin may be initiated to help manage blood sugar levels and avoid complications.
Report encounters related to pregnancy and diabetes using codes in Chapter 15 Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium. If a pregnant woman has pre-existing diabetes that complicates the pregnancy, Chapter 15 guidelines instruct us to assign a code from O24 first, followed by the appropriate diabetes code (s) from Chapter 4 (E08–E13). Report codes Z79.4 or Z79.84 if applicable.
Secondary diabetes — DM that results as a consequence of another medical condition — is addressed in Chapter 4 guidelines. These codes, found under categories E08, E09, and E13, should be listed first, followed by the long-term therapy codes for insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents.
Type 1.5 diabetes is a form of diabetes in which an adult has features of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. These patients have also been described with the terms “latent autoimmune diabetes of adults” (LADA), and “slow-progressing type 1 diabetes.” The condition has also been called “double” diabetes, because individuals demonstrate both the autoimmune destruction of beta cells of type 1 diabetes and the insulin resistance characteristic of type 2 diabetes. People with type 1.5 diabetes have autoantibodies to insulin-producing beta cells and gradually lose their insulin-producing capability, requiring insulin within 5–10 years of diagnosis.
Left uncontrolled, the disease progresses into prediabetes and, eventually, type 2 diabetes. This is the most common type of diabetes and is initially treated with lifestyle modification including a healthy diet and exercise. If these measures are not effective, treatment generally starts with an oral hypoglycemic agent.