How are ICD-9 and ICD-10 different?
The ICD-10-CM codes are vastly different from those currently assigned in ICD-9-CM. All codes for ICD-10-CM are alpha-numeric. There may be up to seven alpha-numeric characters, requiring billing software program changes to accommodate the additional digits, as well as extensive coder training. The new ICD-10-CM codes will require exacting physician documentation to assign appropriate codes.
