2019 ICD-10-CM codes released, revisions support improved specificity

The recently released 2019 ICD-10-CM update adds some codes to allow additional diagnoses to be reported while adding others for greater specificity. The updated codes go into effect October 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The update includes more than 600 additions, deletions, and revisions. Most represent minor changes such as correcting typos. For example, the spelling of the descriptor for code E67.1 (hypercarotinemia) is corrected to hypercarotenemia.

A number of deletions and additions focus on providing greater specificity, such as the deletion of C43.11 (malignant melanoma of right eyelid, including canthus). This one code is replaced by two codes that differentiate between the upper and lower eyelid, C43.111 (malignant melanoma of right upper eyelid, including canthus) and C43.112 (malignant melanoma of right lower eyelid, including canthus). Providers should include this greater specificity in their documentation to allow coders to select the correct code and avoid reporting unspecified codes.

The complete set of files can be downloaded from the CDC’s website.