AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2007 Issue 4; VOLUMES 1 AND 2 NEW/REVISED CODES
Hearing Loss
Effective October 1, 2007, category 389, Hearing loss, has been expanded to better reflect this condition and new codes have been created to distinguish between the unilateral and bilateral forms of hearing loss. Additionally, code 315.34, Speech and language developmental delay due to hearing loss, has been created to specifically describe this type of hearing loss. Code 315.34, will allow researchers and epidemiologists to improve the accuracy of tracking, communicating and allocating resources to individuals with speech and language developmental delay due to hearing loss. There is evidence that children born with permanent or intermittent hearing loss...
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Article Overview
This article explains a coding update focused on hearing loss and related developmental speech and language delay concepts. It is aimed at coders, auditors, and healthcare professionals who need to understand the scope of the revised diagnosis categories, the affected code set, and the general purpose of the update for documentation and tracking.
Why This Topic Matters
The update affects how hearing loss and associated developmental delay conditions are categorized, which can influence consistent reporting, data tracking, and record accuracy.
Article Sections
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Overview of the October 1, 2007 update
Introduces the timing and purpose of the coding changes and the broad areas of the diagnosis classification affected.
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Developmental speech and language delay related to hearing loss
Covers the addition of a developmental delay category tied to hearing loss and its relationship to broader speech and language classification topics.
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Hearing loss category revisions
Summarizes the revised hearing loss category structure and the affected subcategories across unilateral, bilateral, and mixed forms.
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Clinical example
Presents an illustrative scenario showing how the revised diagnosis topics may appear in a real-world coding question.
What You Will Learn
- The scope of the hearing loss-related diagnosis update
- How the article frames developmental speech and language delay in relation to hearing loss
- Which broad hearing loss subtypes are addressed by the revision
- What kind of clinical scenario the article uses to illustrate the update
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding educators
- Clinical documentation staff
- Healthcare auditors
- Researchers using diagnosis data
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
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