June 28, 2012
Wondering just how many ICD-10 codes will be available come October 1, 2013? According to the most recent 2013 ICD-10 file that CMS published on June 20, 2012, there are currently 71,920 ICD-10 codes on the books. The majority of the codes (nearly 62,000) all fall within the medical/surgical category, while the remaining fall within the fifteen other specified categories (see second table below). For those keeping track, the current ICD-9 Code Set contains approximately 14,000 codes – a mere fraction of the ICD-10 set! Beside the explosive addition of new and revised codes, ICD-10 differs from ICD-9 in character length and organization. Healthcare providers and their medical billing and coding teams are currently familiar with codes that are 3-5 characters in length; the new codes will range from 3-7 characters, and will incorporate alpha and numeric digits. For a summary of additional basic differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10, see the AMA’s table below.
|
ICD-9 |
ICD-10 |
| 3-5 characters in length | 3-7 characters in length |
| Approximately 13,000 codes | Approximately 68,000 available codes |
| First digit may be alpha (E or V) or numeric; digits 2-5 are numeric | Digit 1 is alpha; digits 2 and 3 are numeric; digits 4-7 are alpha or numeric |
| Limited space for adding new codes | Flexible for adding new codes |
| Lacks detail | Very specific |
| Lacks laterality | Has laterality (i.e., codes identifying right vs. left) |
Source: American Medical Association. 2010.
ICD-10-PCS Code 2013 Totals, By Section
- Medical and Surgical: 61,896
- Obstetrics: 300
- Placement: 861
- Administration: 1,386
- Measurement and Monitoring: 339
- Extracorporeal Assistance and Performance: 41
- Extracorporeal Therapies: 42
- Osteopathic: 100
- Other Procedures: 60
- Chiropractic: 90
- Imaging: 2,934
- Nuclear Medicine: 464
- Radiation Oncology: 1,939
- Rehabilitation and Diagnostic Audiology: 1,380
- Mental Health: 30
- Substance Abuse Treatment: 59
- Total: 71,920
