April NCD Edit Module Will Include ICD-10 Codes

ICD-10 translations for all the ICD-9 codes in the 23 laboratory national coverage decisions (NCDs) will be included in the April quarterly release of the NCD edit modules for laboratory services, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). According to transmittal R2852CP (Change Request 8585), released Jan. 10, the ICD-9 code changes will be effective on April 1, while labs will have until Oct. 1 to get the ICD-10 codes entered into their software for editing claims for medical necessity and advance beneficiary notice checks. CMS is required to update the laboratory NCD edit modules quarterly in accordance with Chapter 16, §120.2 of CMS Internet Only Claims Processing Manual (Pub. 100-04). These updates are part of the routine maintenance of the NCDs and are usually ministerial changes like adding new codes, deleting codes, and accommodating biannual changes to the ICD-9 codes. Aside from the inclusion of the ICD-10 codes, there were no other changes to the NCDs noted in the transmittal.