Who is Required to Use ICD-9-CM?
All physicians are required to report ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. Physicians included in this mandate are: Doctors of Medicine Doctors of Osteopathy Doctors of Dental Surgery Doctors of Dental Medicine Doctors of Podiatry Doctors of Optometry Doctors of Chiropractic Effective January 1, 1998, non-physician practitioners are required to report ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. Non-physicians include: • Physician Assistants • Clinical Nurse Specialists • Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists • Clinical Psychologists • Clinical Social Workers Some non-physician providers are exempt from having to report ICD-9-CM codes. However, it is always advisable to report ICD-9-CM codes whenever possible as it reduces the need for correspondence requiring additional information. Because payments are driven by a uniform coding system, ICD-9-CM coding helps eliminate incorrect payments and providers will experience fewer denials on valid claims. Examples of providers exempt from having to report ICD-9-CM diagn
