CDC publishes ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 31 published ICD-10-CM Official Coding and Reporting Guidelines for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), effective April 1 through September 30.

Per the official guidelines, codes for COVID-19 diagnoses are housed in Chapter 1 (Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases [A00-B99]) of the ICD-10-CM manual under the subheading, Coronavirus Infections.

The guidelines include instructions for reporting the following:

• Confirmed cases of COVID-19

Healthcare professionals are instructed to only code for confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses, as documented by the provider. Coders should use code U07.1 (2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease) for confirmed cases. Presumptive positive COVID-19 test results should be coded as confirmed.

• Acute respiratory illnesses brought on by COVID-19
  • Acute bronchitis
  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome
  • Lower respiratory infection
  • Pneumonia

• Exposure to COVID-19
• COVID-19 screenings
• Signs and symptoms of the virus without a definitive diagnosis
• COVID-19 cases in which the patient is asymptomatic

The CDC also added a new guideline to Chapter 15 (Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Puerperium). If during pregnancy, childbirth, or the puerperium a patient presents for COVID-19, the coder should report a principal diagnosis code from subcategory O98.5- (other viral diseases complicating pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium). This code should be followed by code U07.1 and codes for associated manifestations.