Spring Brings Code Meetings and Updates

Spring Brings Code Meetings and Updates

We are approaching April 1, which means that ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS will be updated with their respective guidelines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have released the code and guideline updates. This article will focus on the updates that are continued from the October fiscal year (FY) 24 edition or are new to the April version of the ICD-10-CM FY24 guidelines.

The updates include the following:

  • C.1.d.5.b – Sepsis due to postprocedural infection. There is an addition of code T81.49 (Infection following a procedure, other surgical site) and O86.09 (Infection of obstetric surgical wound, other surgical site).
  • C.1.g.1.f – Screening for COVID-19. For screening for COVID-19, including preoperative testing, assign Z11.52 (Encounter for screening for COVID-19). This change was made due to the declaration that the pandemic was over.
  • C.4.a.6.b.i. – Secondary diabetes mellitus due to pancreatectomy. Assign a code from category E13 as the principal or first-listed diagnosis.
  • C.18.e – Coma. Code R40.20 (Unspecified coma) should be assigned when the underlying cause of the coma is not known or the cause is a traumatic brain injury and the coma scale is not documented in the medical record.
  • C.18.i – NIHSS Stroke Scale – a minor change was made to the code range which is now listed as I60 – I63.
  • C.19.e.5.c – Underdosing. There is an update to the code range for noncompliance with the addition of Z91.A4- (Caregiver’s other noncompliance with patient’s medication regimen).
  • C.21.c.7 – Aftercare. These codes (referring to Z codes) are to be first listed, followed by the diagnosis code when a patient’ encounter is chiefly to receive radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy for the treatment of a neoplasm.
  • C.21.c.8 – Follow-up. Addition of this explanation, “Codes Z08 (Encounter for follow-up examination after completed treatment for malignant neoplasm) and Z09 (Encounter for follow-up examination after completed treatment for conditions other than malignant neoplasm) may be assigned following any type of completed treatment modality (including both medical and surgical treatment).

Remember the Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting is next week on March 19 and 20. The CPT® Editorial Panel meeting is scheduled for May 9 through May 11. There are links in the resources if you have not registered yet. You must register for free to attend.

You may claim continuing education credits for attending. A copy of the agenda is proof of your attendance.

Resources:

https://www.ama-assn.org/about/events/cpt-editorial-panel-meeting

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd10cm_maintenance.htm

https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes/icd-10-coordination-maintenance-committee-meetings

https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/icd-10-codes/2024-icd-10-cm

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Laurie M. Johnson, MS, RHIA, FAHIMA, AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer

Laurie Johnson is currently a senior healthcare consultant for Revenue Cycle Solutions, based in Pittsburgh, Pa. Laurie is an AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer. She has more than 35 years of experience in health information management and specializes in coding and related functions. She has been a featured speaker in over 40 conferences. Laurie is a member of the ICD10monitor editorial board and is a permanent panelist on Talk Ten Tuesdays

Related Stories

Leave a Reply

Please log in to your account to comment on this article.

Featured Webcasts

Trending News

Featured Webcasts

Ask Dr. Hirsch: Clarifying Medicare’s Most Misunderstood Rules – Part 2

Medicare regulations are complex and even seasoned professionals struggle to apply them consistently. Due to overwhelming demand, Dr. Hirsch returns for Part 2 of Ask Dr. Hirsch: Clarifying Medicare’s Most Misunderstood Rules to answer even more of Medicare’s most misunderstood questions, covering inpatient status, observation, SNF access, Medicare Advantage denials, and more. Join Dr. Hirsch as he provides clear, referenced answers to real-world questions submitted by your peers, helping you navigate Medicare compliance with confidence and clarity.

June 18, 2026

Reengineering Utilization Management: Building an Adaptive Model for the New Payer Era

Traditional utilization management models can no longer keep pace with regulatory shifts, payer scrutiny, and operational pressures. In this webcast, Tiffany Ferguson, LMSW, CMAC, ACM, ACPA-C, introduces an Adaptive Model strategy that modernizes UM through role specialization, technology-driven workflows, and proactive, team-based processes. Attendees will learn how to restructure programs to improve efficiency, strengthen clinical collaboration, and enhance financial performance in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

May 20, 2026

Compliance for the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility (IPF-PPS): Minimizing Federal Audit Findings by Strengthening Best Practices

Federal auditors are intensifying their focus on inpatient psychiatric facilities, using advanced data analytics to spotlight outliers and pursue high‑dollar repayments. In this high‑impact webcast, Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, Compliance Officer and V.P., Hospital & Physician Compliance, breaks down what regulators are really targeting in IPF-PPS admissions, documentation, treatment and discharge planning. Attendees will learn practical steps to tighten processes, avoid common audit triggers and protect reimbursement and reduce the risk of multimillion-dollar repayment demands.

April 9, 2026

Mastering MDM for Accurate Professional Fee Coding

In this timely session, Stacey Shillito, CDIP, CPMA, CCS, CCS-P, CPEDC, COPC, breaks down the complexities of Medical Decision Making (MDM) documentation so providers can confidently capture the true complexity of their care. Attendees will learn practical, efficient strategies to ensure documentation aligns with current E/M guidelines, supports accurate coding, and reduces audit risk, all without adding to charting time.

March 31, 2026

Trending News

Prepare for the 2025 CMS IPPS Final Rule with ICD10monitor’s IPPSPalooza! Click HERE to learn more

Get 15% OFF on all educational webcasts at ICD10monitor with code JULYFOURTH24 until July 4, 2024—start learning today!

This Memorial Day, we honor those who gave all for our freedom. Take 20% off sitewide through May 29 with code MEMORIAL26 at checkout

CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 1 with code CYBER25

CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24