What is an ICD-9 code and why is it so important?
A. ICD-9 codes are diagnoses codes regulated by Medicare and used for a variety of reasons. The Medicare Catastrophe Coverage Act of 1988 requires physicians to provide ICD-9 codes in the treatment of their patients. Insurance companies require these codes as an explanation for an occurrence or patient visit to a doctor’s office, clinical tests and/or procedures. ICD-9 codes are also used to classify diseases, monitor mortality and morbidity statistics – all of which are reported to CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in Atlanta. The CDC and other agencies use these statistics to track the rates of death, disease, incidence, etc.
