ICD-10 Code Set Info

The ICD-10-CM code set replaced the ICD-9-CM code set on October 1, 2015, for covered entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). ICD-10-CM uses different formatting and an expanded character set.

Labcorp provides ICD-10 coding resources that may be helpful for your office.

Labcorp continues to rely on the ordering physician to provide diagnostic information for the individual patient. In accordance with HIPAA standards, Labcorp requires a valid diagnosis at the highest level of specificity in order to bill third-party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid. Missing diagnoses, diagnosis codes lacking the highest level of specificity, and nonspecific narratives all require follow-up with the ordering physician or his/her authorized designee for clarification. Providing a formatted ICD-10-CM code at the time of order will minimize letters and/or calls.

AAPC ICD-9 to ICD-10 Crosswalks

There are many resources available from coding organizations that may work for your practice. Some of the resources that Labcorp has found to be most helpful and reliable are from American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). An ICD-10 code conversion tool, as well as an ICD-10 to ICD-9 translator tool is available from AAPC. Crosswalk documents for more than 15 medical specialties are also available.

AAPC is the country’s largest coding training and credentialing organization for the business side of health care. Their certified members in medical coding, medical billing, medical auditing, compliance, and practice management represent the highest level of expertise in the industry. Through training, resources and support provided by AAPC, thousands of organizations and professionals have learned how to appropriately use the ICD-10 coding set.

ICD-9 to ICD-10 Code Conversion Tool

Coding Tools Available from Leading Coding Organization

AAPC offers a wide variety of information and instruction on ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, HCPCS, and modifier code sets.  This includes access to coding guidelines, publications, and even payer medical coverage policies from large carriers like Cigna and UHC. References to industry-level publications like CPT® Code Assistant, AHA Coding Clinic, and specialty newsletters for more than 25 specialists are available. Find additional resources such as Medicare and regional MAC NCDs and LCDs by ICD-10-CM code using the link to AAPC below.

Coding Tools

The following ICD-10 resources (included below as PDFs) were developed by Labcorp:

ICD-10 Excludes1 Note and Coding Guidelines

The Excludes1 note, also referred to as mutually exclusive diagnosis codes, is part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ICD-10-CM coding guidelines and applies to ICD-10 diagnosis codes, not procedure codes. An Excludes1 note is applicable when two conditions or encounters cannot be used together. An example is if a patient is seeing the physician for a prenatal visit and a sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening is performed, only the pregnancy ICD-10 code is needed on the claim because the prenatal visit encompasses the STI screening.  For more information about ICD-10 Excludes1 notes and coding guidelines, click on the “ICD-10 Excludes1 Note and Coding Guidelines” link above.

The following ICD-10 websites provide additional information and resources:

  1. American Medical Association (AMA) (type "ICD-10" in search field)
  2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
  3. Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI)
  4. American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) (type "ICD-10" in search field)
  5. Healthcare Information and Management Systems (HIMSS) (type "ICD-10" in search field)

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