Odd medical coding questions:
'Were you struck by a duck?'
A new medical coding system increases the number of diseases from 14,000 to 70,000 and the new codes can be weird.
ICD-10 is the new medical coding system given to hospitals and doctors and used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
According to doctor and author R.J. Pertrella, it includes such codes as "Struck by a duck," "Bizarre personal appearance," Sucked into a jet engine," and "Burn due to water-skis on fire."
The goal is to be more accurate. The more accurate the description, the more accurate their reimbursement will be. When researchers review medical charts, they will now know what type of jet engine a patient was sucked into, for example.
Figuring out exactly the right billing code in the middle of a busy day in the emergency room will be a fun challenge, says Dr. Pertrella, He's the author of a new book called Days of Giants.
The World Health Organization, which developed ICD-10, is already working on ICD-11.
