Comic Potential in ICD-10 Codes

[VMI77]

http://claytonecramer.blogspot.com/2015 ... 7s+Blog%29

A little levity may be in order.

My son-in-law is a social worker, and has to keep up on ICD codes, used for billing insurance companies and also for categorizing causes of death (which is why I care about them). This article is very funny:


There are 68,000 billing codes under the new ICD-10 system, as opposed to a paltry 13,000 under the current ICD-9.

Despite the controversy surrounding ICD-10, there is one universally agreed-upon upside to the hyper-specific coding system: Weird and obscure codes that stand for bizarre medical injuries. There's even an illustrated book, Struck by an Orca: ICD-10 Illustrated.

Some of the codes:

16. V97.33XD: Sucked into jet engine, subsequent encounter.

8. W61.62XD: Struck by duck, subsequent encounter.

5. Y93.D: V91.07XD: Burn due to water-skis on fire, subsequent encounter​.

[jimlongley]

One of the problems with having to use codes as opposed to plain text. Of course computers don't recognize plain text, so there has to be a code for EVERYTHING>

Decades ago we had codes at the phone company, for literally every type of trouble closeout that anyone could think of. The problem was that the allowed space in the computer was three "digits" which only allowed for 999 different solutions (until someone realized that letter could be used in the field) and one of those codes stood for a trouble disappearing while the technician was trying to find the cause. The code was "CCW" and stood for "Came Clear" but since the field was three characters, they added a 'W' and amongst the technicians it immediately became "Came Clear While" and some wag added "Fooling Around." it turned out that the letter was really supposed to mean "while" as opposed to "CCB" which was "Came Clear Before" and "CCT" which stood for "Came Clear on Test."

Some codes were not used because they appeared as duplicates, but someone once certified that there were 21 different codes for a trouble that came clear after it was reported.

[puma guy]

I was talking to my physician about this yesterday. The change will cost millions, maybe billions according to him. The ironic thing is he left Canada back in the 1970's (when I first went to him) to escape their system.

[mojo84]

I can appreciate the humor in this. However, I suspect it will dissipate once we start getting billings and explanations of benefits from the providers and carriers. It's going to lead to much confusion and more splitting of hairs when carriers decide whether to pay or not.

[ShootDontTalk]

I have an ICD Code I'd like added:

ICD-1 Insurance providers, when contracted to provide health coverage and paid for their services, will pay all legitimate claims promptly and courteously. Failure to do so will result in issuance of a directive that the CEO will go directly to jail forthwith, not pass Go, and not collect $200.

Not to insult anyone in the industry, but the Mafia would be proud of the insurance racket.

[Beiruty]

So, how you would do subsequent encounter with one sucked in 777 engine?!

Doh!.... The Doctor ...

[RottenApple]

Sounds like they need to rename it ID-10-T system....

[loktite]

Sounds like they need to rename it ID-10-T system....

[Pawpaw]

So, how you would do subsequent encounter with one sucked in 777 engine?!

Being sucked into a jet intake does not automatically mean death, apparenty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeLbtltuB5g

Also, some of the stuff in that article simply show a "city boy" mentality...

4. W55.29XA: Other contact with cow, subsequent encounter.
"Other contact with cow." OTHER CONTACT WITH COW? There are codes for "bitten by cow" and "kicked by cow." What else is there?! What, precisely, is the contact with the cow that has necessitated a hospital visit?!

How about "knocked down by cow", "stepped on by cow", or even "crushed by cow"? I have personally either seen or experienced all three of those.

[Beiruty]

Hilary Clinton:
What does it make a difference if the patient was struck by a duck, a geese or a grease?! Oops.