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Can I Use Medical Coding Books From Prior Years?

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As new diagnostic and treatment procedures arise and old ones lose relevance, the medical industry has to change its coding for these things. When changes are significant enough, new revisions of official medical coding books are drafted and then released to the public.

For example, most hospitals in the United States currently use the ninth revision, despite the fact that a tenth revision has been released. Using the tenth edition, the most current year's coding books, is not mandatory until the implementation date in October 2013.

Once it is October 1, 2013, medical coders must have and use updated medical codes. Coders often ask, “Can I use medical coding books from prior years?” This is a loaded question, and the answer depends on what the definition of “use” is. Askers can mean one of two things:
  1. “Can I keep old coding books around to refer to every now and then, or should I dispose of them?”
  2. “If the changes aren’t all that big, can I just skip the new books and keep using my old ones?”
Can you use medical coding books from prior years in your daily practice? Absolutely not! You run the risk of using incorrect codes, compromising safety and integrity in the office at which you work. You should always be up to date with coding books, meaning that you should not only have them but be familiar with them. You may, however, keep previous years’ coding books for occasional reference. Here’s why:

Medical coding revolves around files: a coder evaluates a file for the case’s diagnosis and procedure, putting codes together to bill insurance companies for services rendered. Like any job revolving around files, sometimes the matter resurfaces. You might put away a file from 2009, but an error or complaint could spring up years later. Having coding books from the case’s year would help in understanding the case in its proper context.

Does this mean you should have fifth revision on your desk in 2013? Not a chance.

Click through for a list of direct links to the most current medical coding books available.

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