These codes can be found in ICD-10 Chapter 20 and should be reported for any initial encounter from an illness or adverse effect, along with any injuries sustained. Currently, not all payers require E-codes for ICD-9-CM, and, likewise, there will not be a national stipulation for mandatory ICD-10-CM external cause code reporting, according to the report.
CMS also addressed unspecified codes, which still exist in ICD-10, despite the increased specificity of codes from ICD-9. Guidelines say that all patient encounters should be coded to the highest level of specificity possible, and when sufficient clinical information is not known, an unspecified code may be most appropriate.
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