Over 490 new ICD-10-CM code changes were announced by the CDC on July 1, 2020, effective October 1,2020. Among these are diagnosis code changes in many significant areas, including, but not exclusively: 

• Cytokine Release Syndrome (including grades 1 – 5 and 'unspecified' codes)
• Alcohol and various drug abuse or use with withdrawal
• Esophagitis with and without bleeding
• Arthritis and Osteoporosis (including 'other specified site' codes)
• Chronic Kidney Disease (including 3A, 3B, and 'unspecified' codes)
• Neonatal cerebral infarction (including laterality)
• Injuries to thorax (including front and back thoracic wall)

Expansion has occurred in sections that include sickle cell disease, eosinophilic pneumonia, infectious tickborne disease, and hereditary disease.

More COVID-19 Codes

The updated ICD-10-CM coding guidelines outline how COVID-19 related disease should be properly coded, including COVID-19 disease in pregnancy and newborns. The updated guidelines for coding of vaping related disease that were already released mid-year have been added as well.

Additionally, 13 new ICD-10-PCS codes were announced earlier this year and went into effect on August 1, 2020. These include procedure codes that allow for coding of therapeutics for treating COVID-19, as well as several other new technologies.

Context 4 Healthcare Products Keep Customers Up-To-Date

CMS has posted their Final Rule, effective October 1, 2020. Context⁴ Healthcare is processing the ICD-10 diagnosis related changes that impact facility coding. We are building this new information into our ICD-10 related data products, and plan to release them soon.

In the latest CMS ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting held September 8-9, 2020, the committee discussed the likelihood that additional new COVID-19 related ICD-10 diagnosis codes may be added effective January 1, 2021, or perhaps even earlier. Our Content Team is routinely monitoring for newly released ICD-10-CM codes, and we will promptly incorporate them into our products.