Back in May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 updates to the ICD-10-PCS code set, and now it's almost time for them to take effect on October 1, 2022. This code set features 64 deleted codes, 331 new procedure codes, and no revisions, bringing the new total of
ICD-10-PCS codes up from 78,229 to 78,496.
This post will offer an overview of these updates to ensure your providers and coding staff are prepared for them, so your organization can avoid unnecessary denials.
FY 2023 ICD-10-PCS Deletions
The 64 deleted codes primarily center around:
31 for laser interstitial thermal therapy throughout the body, an emerging technique for treating tumors
And
22 for joint fusions, 11 for nanotextured devices and 11 for radiolucent devices. These codes have been removed from the New Technology Join Fusion PCS table and moved to the Medical and Surgical Upper Joint Fusion PCS table
The remaining deleted codes are smaller subsets consisting of 2 for Extracorporeal Supersaturated Oxygenation, 4 for Replacements of Aortic Valves or Skin, and 5 for introduction of bone marrow and various chemicals into muscle and vein, respectively.
FY 2023 ICD-10-PCS Additions
Of the 331 new codes, 270 are Medical and Surgically related, with the largest subsets within Gastrointestinal and Endocrine systems.
Gastrointestinal: 79 new codes have been added for this system, including the destruction of the esophagus, esophagogastric junction, stomach, and intestines, amongst others.
Endocrine: 66 new codes make up the second largest addition, which include the destruction of various Endocrine areas (e.g., pituitary gland, adrenal glands, aortic body, thyroid glands, etc.) with Laster Interstitial Thermal Therapy
Other subsets of the recent additions include Central Nervous System, heart valves, lower arteries, respiratory system, skin and breast, head and facial bones, male reproductive system, anatomical regions, and hepatobiliary system and pancreas.
Aside from a handful of other codes in various sections (e.g., physiological systems or imaging) the 55 remaining new codes are within the New Technology section. These codes primarily revolve around the transfusion of various anti-infectives, immunotherapy and cell therapies, and joint fusion and replacements with synthetic substitutes.
Take Action
Heeding new code changes is imperative to getting ahead of payer denials and ensuring you aren't unknowingly under-coding yourself, but Payers will find a reason to deny you anyway. That's why it's important to have the right technology backing your billing office so you're equipped with the data insights to prevent those denials from happening again.
Check out the rest of our website to learn more about how we can reduce your claim denials through root cause determination with machine learning to help get you paid what you deserve on your claims.
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