The CDC issued the 2023 ICD-10-CM code updates on June 9, 2022, which include 1,176 new, 28 revised, and 287 deleted codes to be used for patient encounters and discharges occurring from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023.
They apply to all insurers, whether you’re billing Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or a commercial payor. HealthPRO Heritage partners have access to updated reference sheets to help navigate these changes with ease:
- Top 30+ RTP codes
- Most commonly used ICD-10 codes in our Partner SNF’s
- ICD10 Cheat Sheet
Please reach out to your rep or contact us here, if you are interested in more information about how to access these valuable tools.
Of interest to many providers are the new Dementia Codes. An expansion of the dementia codes came from a request in the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) September 2021 ICD-10-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting. The 2023 ICD-10 code set now includes nearly 100 new codes related to dementia. You’re now able to report conditions like vascular dementia (F01.5-F01.C4), dementia in other diseases (F02.8-F02.C4), and unspecified dementia (F03.9-F03.C4).
The new guidelines for reporting dementia emphasize that providers must clearly document the severity of the patient’s condition. If the documentation is incomplete, the coder should query the provider or default to the appropriate unspecified code.
The updated guidelines also instruct that if a patient with dementia is admitted to an inpatient facility and gets worse during their stay, the coder should assign the highest severity level reported during the stay.
In the CDC meeting, the Committee gave the following clarifications to help determine the dementia stage.
Mild dementia: “Clearly evident functional impact on daily life, affecting mainly instrumental activities. No longer fully independent/requires occasional assistance with daily life activities.”
Moderate dementia: “Extensive functional impact on daily life with impairment in basic activities. No longer independent and requires frequent assistance with daily life activities.”
Severe dementia: “Clinical interview may not be possible. Complete dependency due to severe functional impact on daily life with impairment in basic activities, including basic self-care.” A few of the specific new dementia codes include:
- 811; Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, unspecified severity, with agitation
- A11; Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, mild, with agitation
- B11; Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere, moderate, with agitation
If you have questions on ICD-10 Coding or anything else, please contact us here.