FOR ANYONE IN HEALTHCARE ...you know what ICD billing codes are..eg the number classification for illnesses you must use in order to collect treatment payments from Insurance Companies and the Government.
WELL, A WHOLE NEW BOOK is out and there are 68,000 billing codes under the new ICD-10 system, ... as opposed to a paltry 13,000 under the current ICD-9.
And, yes, ‘THIS expansive increase in diagnostic codes, intended to smooth billing processes and assist in population health and cost reduction across the healthcare delivery system, has providers across the board worried about integration’... BUT WORRY NOT (unless you have to use it.) for us at DKOS this is all you need to know.
Despite the controversy surrounding ICD-10, there is one universally agreed-upon upside to the hyper-specific coding system: Weird and obscure codes that stand for bizarre medical injuries.
There's even an illustrated book, Struck by an ORCA: ICD-10 Illustrated (Healthcare Dive is super into it.)
Therefore, behold! The 16 most absurd codes in the entire ICD-10 set, with a little advice from Healthcare Dive on how to handle these cases should they come into your Emergency Room.
AND, yes, Almost All Agree ‘STRUCK by DUCK’ leads the list... though being a geek, I am partial to the Spacecraft one too.
NOW On to Absurd... from HealthCareDIVE: Most Absurd ICD-10 Codes
I will post my TOP FIVE... please visit website to chose yours! (and, no before, someone comments the ones for ‘foreign body’ in XX are not on this family friendly list.)
16. V97.33XD: Sucked into jet engine, subsequent encounter.
Sucked into a jet engine, survived, then sucked in again? First of all, that really, really sucks. Second of all, this patient is obviously Wolverine, and should be detained for imaging and posterity.
(Technically, this means "subsequent encounter with a physician" not "subsequent encounter with a jet engine," but that's less dramatic.)
OUCH! Gonna take a heap of SuperGlue to fix this.
13. Y93.D: Activities involved arts and handcrafts.
Camp is a dangerous thing. Hot glue guns and knitting needles definitely wouldn't be allowed on a plane, yet we habitually allow 7-year-olds to play with them. This is a public health crisis that needs to be addressed.
11. Y92.146: Swimming-pool of prison as the place of occurrence of the external cause.
There is also a code for "day spa of prison as the place of occurrence.”
8. W61.62XD: Struck by duck, subsequent encounter.
Maladies that rhyme should be given immediately priority in the ER. Ducks, like most water fowl, are mean-spirited animals and this case should be treated with the utmost urgency as it is likely to be a serious injury.
3. W22.02XD: V95.43XS: Spacecraft collision injuring occupant, sequela.
The existence of this type of code does not engender trust in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Shouldn't they have more control over their spacecraft than that? Or are they just careening around in the ether, pinging into one another and injuring occupants/astronauts?
If you enjoyed these, do visit link where there are ones on flammable water-skis, in-laws, and personal appearance (Did U See this Lagy Gaga?)