2020 ICD-10-PCS update: New guidelines for reporting brachytherapy

CMS recently released the 2020 ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, which include a new section for the accurate reporting of brachytherapy procedures. 

The ICD-10-PCS guidelines are updated annually to complement the official conventions and instructions provided in the ICD-10-PCS manual. The 2020 ICD-10-PCS coding guidelines are effective October 1.

The updated guidelines include a new section titled Radiation Therapy that reviews correct ICD-10-PCS reporting for brachytherapy. Per the guidelines, “When a radioactive brachytherapy source is left in the body at the end of the procedure, it is coded separately to the root operation Insertion with the device value Radioactive Element.” The guidelines offer clinical examples for when this guideline would and would not apply.

In addition, the radiology section of the guidelines offers the following instructions for reporting the use of a temporary applicator for brachytherapy delivery: “A separate procedure to place a temporary applicator for delivering the brachytherapy is coded to the root operation Insertion and the device value Other Device.” For example, if the placement of an intrauterine brachytherapy applicator is reported separately from the brachytherapy procedure, it should be coded to Insertion of Other Device. The brachytherapy administration would be separately reported.

The 2020 coding and reporting guidelines also include updated language in the sections for medical and surgical procedures and for new technology. A summary of the changes can be found here.