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Should I Get The ICD-10-CM Code Books Prior To The Implementation Deadline?

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The ICD, or International Classification of Diseases, is a publication listing all of the circumstances known to cause human fatalities. As scientific research within the medical industry is continual, the ICD is constantly revised to add and amend material. This post outlines what the ICD codes are used for.

Small changes are made each year (such as the re-naming of conditions and treatments), and each decade or so brings about major changes. Major changes call for new revisions, which are made available to the public, who is given a deadline by which to implement the new revision.

Many U.S. hospitals and practitioners still use the ninth revision (ICD-9-CM), even though the tenth (ICD-10-CM) was released in 2007. The implementation deadline for ICD-10-CM is October 1, 2013. You can see this post for more on the differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM.


Many medical coders ask if they should get ICD-10-CM code books before the 2013 deadline, and the answer is that they absolutely should. To the medical coders out there, here is why getting the new books ahead of time is in your best interest:
  • The implementation deadline is NOT flexible. The official website for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provides an engaging PDF document about ICD-10 codes. The document addresses myths surrounding the October 2013 conversion deadline, the biggest myth being that the deadline is flexible. (link below)
  • Because the implementation date is not flexible, getting the books now makes conversion less hectic. Don’t leave yourself a time crunch once 2013 rolls around.
  • Adapting sooner to the new system will settle any qualms with it. You may not be open to change, but familiarizing yourself with the changes early gives you time to see and appreciate why significant revisions were made. Resisting inevitable change does more to help you drown than swim.
  • The longer you wait, the more coding books will cost. As businesses scramble to meet the deadline, book providers will easily raise prices to take advantage of the book demand.
For a list of the most current medical coding books see this page.

Reference: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/downloads/ICD-10MythsandFacts.pdf



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