What Everyone Should Know About the ICD-10-CM

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The ICD-10-CM is a coding system that healthcare providers use to identify a range of illnesses. There has been a lot of confusion and debate about the implementation of the use of this manual world-wide. I keep being told by under-informed “helpful” people that the way I get healthcare is changing, and that offices will be prevented from providing care because of this system. It’s coming up a lot because it was officially implemented on Oct. 1, 2015. Here is everything you need to know, in my opinion.

1. The ICD-10-CM houses over 14,400 codes for doctors and clinicians to use to identify illnesses.
2. These codes tell your insurance provider, the CDC, and the WHO what you’re being treated for.
3. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and WHO (World Health Organization) don’t sell your information. They use it to track disease and facilitate treatment.
4. Using an international coding system allows patients to receive appropriate treatments all over the world, not relying on their doctor alone to find treatments for rare or difficult diseases.
5. There have been major delays in the US implementation of this standard. The first date set was for Oct 1, 2011. Over the last 6+ years, this standard has been pushed back and delayed because the slow healthcare system hasn’t been able to update its hundreds of pieces of software fast enough.
6. These coding standards have been in use around the world for a while now.
7. These codes don’t change how we diagnose a disease.
8. These codes shouldn’t change anything about your healthcare habits.
9. These codes should only change the way offices and hospitals store information, and deliver data to other providers.
10. These codes do not, and will not, change how diseases are treated, discussed, or researched.

In short, keep your bra on. Unless you are in Medical Records, your life isn’t turning upside down right now. If your doctor, therapist, or other health care professionals complain about a high volume of training, or changes to their routine because of the ICD-10-CM, it’s not about how they treat you. It’s about how they create and maintain records. That’s pretty much it.