Now Is the Time to Start Preparing for the 2024 ICD-10 Changes

by  Find-A-Code™
Sep 12th, 2023

As happens at the start of nearly every summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the annual changes and revisions to its ICD-10 codes in mid-June. Changes are set to take effect with the 2024 fiscal year. Needless to say there are a lot of changes to pay attention to this time around. There is no better time than right now to start preparing.

Note that the federal government's fiscal year begins on October 1. Medical coders and billers will have to begin using the new and updated codes on that date; it is not a matter of waiting until January 1, 2024. Here's what this means: at the time this post was written, October 1 was just four weeks away. Medical coders and billers who have not yet taken a look at the changes are up against the wall. Time is slipping away.

For the record, 2024 ICD-10 code changes include:

• 395 new codes
• 13 revised codes
• 25 deleted codes

That is a net of 370 brand-new codes along with 13 that have changed. So you have 383 to familiarize yourself with. Once again, now is the time to begin preparations if you have not looked at the changes yet.

Notable Changes for 2024

The bulk of the new codes are related to accidents and injuries. Of the 395 total new codes, 123 apply here. They are external cause codes designed to give more detail regarding accidents and their resulting injuries. Other notable changes include:

• Osteoporosis – The new code set proposes an additional 36 codes for osteoporosis, specifically where a pathological pelvic fracture is in play.
• Sickle Cell Anemia – Sickle cell anemia gets several new codes that add more detail.
• Parkinson's Disease – Parkinson's disease, with and without dyskinesia, get five new codes for 2024.
• Migraine – There are four new codes for migraine with aura.
• Insulin Resistance – Three new codes have been added for insulin resistance.

If you handle ICD-10 look-up online, make sure your provider has updated its system as of October 1. The last thing you want to do as a medical coder or biller is use incorrect codes that could lead to time-consuming and costly delays.

Parkinson's Disease Updates

Parkinson's disease is one of the more challenging diseases to code due to disease progression and symptoms. To provide a bit more detail, four codes have been added to account for different scenarios with and without dyskinesia. For example, the code G20.A1 refers to Parkinson's disease without dyskinesia or fluctuations. With fluctuations, Parkinson's disease without dyskinesia will be coded as the G20.A2.

There is also a new, fifth code for unspecified parkinsonism. This one is of special note given the fact that parkinsonism is not the same thing as Parkinson's disease. If you would like to know more, we recently published a blog post explaining it all.

It's Up to You

As a medical coding or billing specialist, it's ultimately up to you to make sure you stay abreast of the changes for 2024. There are quite a few slated for the coming fiscal year, so get prepared if you haven't already. The good news is that you don't have to memorize any of the new or modified codes. You just need to understand the path to get to them.

Rest assured that we will always strive to make sure our code sets are kept up to date. We encourage you to do your code look-up online. It is faster and more efficient than thumbing through paper manuals. We are convinced that online look-up is the way to go.