In ICD codes, the subcategory describes the digit that comes after the decimal point. This digit further describes the nature of the illness or injury, and gives additional information as to its location or manifestation. What is the first step in ICD 10 CM diagnosis coding?
Full Answer
What are the categories of ICD - 10?
Low vision, right eye, category 1-2
- H00-H59 2021 ICD-10-CM Range H00-H59 Diseases of the eye and adnexa Note Use an external cause code following the code for the eye condition, if applicable, to identify the cause ...
- H54 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54 Blindness and low vision 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Non-Billable/Non-Specific Code Code First any associated underlying cause of the blindness Note For definition of ...
- H54.5 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code H54.5 Low vision, one eye 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Non-Billable/Non-Specific Code Applicable To Visual impairment categories 1 or 2 in one eye [normal vision ...
What are the common ICD 10 codes?
ICD-10-CM CATEGORY CODE RANGE SPECIFIC CONDITION ICD-10 CODE Diseases of the Circulatory System I00 –I99 Essential hypertension I10 Unspecified atrial fibrillation I48.91 Diseases of the Respiratory System J00 –J99 Acute pharyngitis, NOS J02.9 Acute upper respiratory infection J06._ Acute bronchitis, *,unspecified J20.9 Vasomotor rhinitis J30.0
What is ICD 10 experience?
- Similar to the diagnosis code set, the alpha characters in ICD 10 code sets are not case-sensitive.
- The letters “O” and “I” are not in the code set. ...
- The 7 characters in the procedure code set help in providing very precise details. ...
- The fourth character identifies the part of the body. ...
How is ICD 10 used?
The purpose of the ICD is to serve as an international standard for health information to enable the assessment and monitoring of mortality, morbidity, and other relevant parameters related to health.
What is the difference between category and subcategory in ICD-10?
Each code begins with a letter, and that letter is followed by two numbers. The first three characters of ICD-10-CM are the “category.” The category describes the general type of the injury or disease. The category is followed by a decimal point and the subcategory.
What is a subcategory in medical coding?
Subcategory. In ICD codes, the subcategory describes the digit that comes after the decimal point. This digit further describes the nature of the illness or injury, and gives additional information as to its location or manifestation.
How many ICD-10 categories are there?
Another difference is the number of codes: ICD-10-CM has 68,000 codes, while ICD-10-PCS has 87,000 codes.
What are the two sections of the ICD-10?
The two parts of the ICD-10-CM index are the index to diseases and injury and index to external causes of injury.
What diagnosis codes Cannot be primary?
Diagnosis Codes Never to be Used as Primary Diagnosis With the adoption of ICD-10, CMS designated that certain Supplementary Classification of External Causes of Injury, Poisoning, Morbidity (E000-E999 in the ICD-9 code set) and Manifestation ICD-10 Diagnosis codes cannot be used as the primary diagnosis on claims.
What is a category code?
Category codes are user defined codes to which you can assign a title and a value. The title appears on the appropriate screen next to the field in which you type the code.
What is secondary ICD code?
SECONDARY DIAGNOSIS (ICD) is the same as attribute CLINICAL CLASSIFICATION CODE. SECONDARY DIAGNOSIS (ICD) is the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code used to identify the secondary PATIENT DIAGNOSIS.
How many categories of diseases are there?
There are four main types of disease: infectious diseases, deficiency diseases, hereditary diseases (including both genetic diseases and non-genetic hereditary diseases), and physiological diseases. Diseases can also be classified in other ways, such as communicable versus non-communicable diseases.
What are the 3 volumes of ICD-10?
The ICD-10 consists of three volumes:Volume 1 – Tabular list.Volume 2 – Instructions and guidelines manual.Volume 3 – Alphabetical index.
How many sections are there in ICD-10-PCS?
17 sectionsThere are 17 sections to ICD-10-PCS. The sections relate to the type of procedure being performed. They are the following: Medical and surgical.
How many sections does the ICD-10-CM have?
The ICD-10 manual begins with “ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting” and is then divided into two main parts: first, the alphabetic index of terms with corresponding codes (subdivided into an index of diseases and injuries, an index of external causes, and tables of drugs and neoplasms) and second, ...
What are the two sections of the ICD-10 quizlet?
an alphabetic listing of terms and corresponding codes. These are the two sections in the index. an alphabetic listing of terms and corresponding codes.
Layout and Organization
ICD-10-CM is a seven-character, alphanumeric code. Each code begins with a letter, and that letter is followed by two numbers. The first three characters of ICD-10-CM are the “category.” The category describes the general type of the injury or disease. The category is followed by a decimal point and the subcategory.
Conventions
Aside from its format and organization, ICD-10-CM makes use of a number of conventions that help guide the coder to correct diagnosis codes. Some of these conventions include:
How to Use ICD-10-CM
The coding process begins with the analysis and abstraction of a medical report. Using their notes from the report, the coder may go straight to the tabular section or may refer to the alphabetic section to find the correct code, and then confirm it in the tabular.
Further Explorations
Let’s look at another example, this time an injury. Injuries often have extensions that document the encounter because the stage of treatment (whether it has not been treated, as in an initial encounter, or has already received treatment, as in a subsequent encounter) can greatly impact the medical necessity on a claim.
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What does the dash mean in ICd 10?
A new feature in the ICD-10-CM Index not found in ICD-9-CM is the use of a dash (-) at the end of an index entry to indicate that additional characters are required.
What does "excludes 1" mean?
An excludes 1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the excludes 1 note. An Excludes 1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
What is the letter S in ICd 10?
In this instance, the letter “S” designates that the diagnosis relates to “Injuries, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes related to single body regions.”
How many characters are in ICd 10?
Codes in the ICD-10-CM code set can have anywhere from three to seven characters. The more characters there are, the more specific the diagnosis. The first character is always alpha (i.e., a letter), but characters two through seven can be either alpha or numeric. Let’s take a look at an example.
What is a multiple site code?
For conditions involving multiple sites, such as osteoarthritis, there is often a “multiple sites” code. If no “multiple sites” code is available, you should report multiple codes to indicate all of the different sites involved. In some treatment scenarios, the bone is affected at the lower end (e.g., Osteoporosis, M80, M81).
What chapter is musculoskeletal?
Most bone, joint, or muscle conditions resulting from healed injuries appear in Chapter 13 (the “M” chapter). This chapter also includes most recurrent bone, joint, or muscle conditions.
What does the seventh character mean in the S?
S – Sequela. The seventh character extension “S” indicates a complication or condition that arises as a direct result of an injury.
Is M54.40 a complete diagnosis?
Although complete, M54.40 is unspecified, and wouldn't be the most accurate description of the patient's condition because it doesn't account for laterality. If the patient has a confirmed underlying diagnosis (i.e., the condition actually causing the back pain), then you should code for that first.
Can you use Z codes as primary?
Hi Tony, Yes, you can use Z codes as primary when there is no other option for a primary diagnosis. Per the official ICD-10-CM guidelines for coding and reporting, "Z codes may be used as either a first-listed (principal diagnosis code in the inpatient setting) or secondary code, depending on the circumstances of the encounter.".
What is the 7th character in ICd 10?
The seventh character, "A", is an extension which, in this example, means "initial encounter". The 5th and 6th character sub-classification represent the most accurate level of specificity. All ICD-10 codes will begin with one of the following letters of the alphabet; the alpha characters are not case sensitive.
What does "S" mean in medical terminology?
"S" (Sequela) - Complications that arise as a direct result of a condition.
How many characters are in a code?
1. Codes are alphanumeric and may be up to 7 characters in length. 2. 1st character is always alpha; alpha characters may appear elsewhere in the code as well. (Alpha characters are NOT case sensitive.) 3. 2nd character is always numeric. 4. The remaining 5 digits may be any combination of alpha/numeric. 5.
What is the decimal after the third character?
All codes require a decimal after the third (3rd) character. 6. Laterality (side of the body affected) is required for certain codes. If a code requires laterality, it must be included in order for the code to be valid. The number 1 is used to indicate right side. The number 2 is used to indicate left side.
What is the subcategory of ICD?
In ICD codes, the subcategory describes the digit that comes after the decimal point. This digit further describes the nature of the illness or injury, and gives additional information as to its location or manifestation.
What is HCPCS code?
HCPCS. Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, pronounced hick-picks. This is main procedural code set for reporting procedures to Medicare, Medicaid, and a large number of other third-party payers. Maintained by CMS ( See “CMS” ), HCPCS is divided into two levels.
What is a modifier in a CPT code?
A modifier is a two-character code that is added to a procedure code to demonstrate an important variation that does not, by itself, change the definition of the procedure. CPT codes have numeric modifiers, while HCPCS codes have alphanumeric modifiers. These are added at the end of a code with a hyphen, and may provide information about the procedure itself, that’s procedure’s Medicare eligibility, and a host of other important facets. The CPT modifier -51, for example, notifies the payer that this procedure was one of multiple procedures. The HCPCS modifier –LT, on the other hand, describes a bilateral procedure that was performed only on the left side of the body.
What is the CPT code set?
The CPT code set is divided into three Categories. Category I , which is the largest and most commonly used, describes medical procedures, technologies and services. Category II is used for performance management and additional data. Category III houses the codes for emerging and experimental medical procedures and services.
Is medical coding intimidating?
The terminology used in medical coding can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Watch this course video and familiarize yourself with some of the everyday vocabulary used in the field.

Layout and Organization
Conventions
- Aside from its format and organization, ICD-10-CM makes use of a number of conventions that help guide the coder to correct diagnosis codes. Some of these conventions include: 1. Brackets [ ] 2. Parentheses ( ) 3. “Includes” 4. “Excludes” 4.1. There is a slight variation here: ICD-10-CM includes two types of “Excludes” conventions 4.1.1. Excludes1: lists codes that should never be …
How to Use ICD-10-CM
- The coding process begins with the analysis and abstraction of a medical report. Using their notes from the report, the coder may go straight to the tabular section or may refer to the alphabetic section to find the correct code, and then confirm it in the tabular. Let’s take a look at an example. Patient is 44-year-old Caucasian male. Self reported height and weight 1.8m and 8…
Further Explorations
- Let’s look at another example, this time an injury. Injuries often have extensions that document the encounter because the stage of treatment (whether it has not been treated, as in an initial encounter, or has already received treatment, as in a subsequent encounter) can greatly impact the medical necessity on a claim. “Patient presents with bruising and a swollen nose and cheek …