ICD-9 proposals and ICD-10 implementation discussed at meeting

ICD-9-CM procedure code proposals and status updates on the industry’s transition to ICD-10 were discussed in detail at the ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance (C&M) Committee’s Spring meeting in Baltimore, Md., March 19-20, 2008.

Day one of the C&M meeting was conducted by CMS staff and featured presentations on ICD-9-CM procedure code and device proposals. The CMS staff outlined code options and the audience was invited to ask follow-up questions and comment on the proposals.

Regarding the transition to ICD-10, CMS announced at the meeting that it has contracted with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) to assess how CMS will be impacted by the replacement of the current ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes with the new ICD-10 codes. AHIMA will analyze CMS’ systems, policies and operations to determine the potential impact of the changeover from ICD-9 to ICD-10.

"The awarding of this contract reflects CMS’ commitment to ensuring that the eventual transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10 code sets will be thoughtfully planned and implemented throughout CMS," said Kerry Weems, CMS acting administrator. "While no decision has been made on the implementation and timing of ICD-10, our proactive approach should send a signal to hospitals and other stakeholders who use ICD-9 coding to begin making their own transition plans."

Separately, CMS announced that a new ICD-10 Web page has been created that includes both ICD-10-PCS and ICD-10-CM information for download, in addition to containing forward and backward mappings between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10.

Additional details about the C&M event are contained within the Ingenix Industry Insight #460.

Fall 2008 Meeting
The Fall 2008 ICD-9-CM C&M meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24-25, 2008 in Baltimore, Md. The meeting is open to the public, but attendees must pre-register by Sept. 12. Online registration can be accessed at the CMS Web site.