Background
On Oct. 1, 2020, physician practices must adopt new ICD-10-CM codes — approximately 80 new and revised codes for ophthalmologists alone. The updates include:
- Corneal dystrophies
- Corneal transplant
- COVID-19
- Headache
- Sickle-cell disorder
The Academy helped you transition to ICD-10 successfully. We’ll lead you to equal success in adopting these updated diagnosis codes.
What You Need to Know
- Medicare: For all claims with dates of service on or after Oct. 1, 2020, you must use the updated ICD-10 codes. If you do not, CMS might reject all claims. Always confirm with your MAC for updated local coverage determination policies (LCDs). No ICD-10 changes impact National Coverage Determination policies (NCDs).
- Commercial payers: Some may take longer to update codes. This could result in claims denials and payment delays of a month or more.
- Merit-Based Incentive Payment System: The new ICD-10 codes currently do not affect MIPS reporting.