Healthcare News: FY 2021 ICD-10-CM code set released

Why This Topic Matters

Annual ICD-10-CM updates can affect documentation review, code lookup, and reporting workflows. Understanding which broad sections changed helps organizations prepare for implementation and review impacted diagnosis categories.

Article Sections

1. FY 2021 ICD-10-CM code set overview

   Introduces the annual code set release and summarizes the overall volume and general types of changes. It also notes that related tabular updates accompany the code changes.

2. Chronic kidney disease and body mass index updates

   Covers selected diagnosis updates involving kidney disease staging and BMI-related revisions. The section focuses on how these areas were affected in the annual release.

3. Sickle cell anemia and substance withdrawal codes

   Describes new diagnosis codes added for certain blood disorders and for withdrawal-related conditions. It also identifies examples of the categories affected by these additions.

4. Chapter 22: Codes for Special Purposes

   Summarizes the addition of a new ICD-10-CM chapter and the broad subject matter covered within it. The section notes the chapter’s limited initial set of codes.

5. True deletions and code family removals

   Highlights diagnosis codes that were removed without replacement, including an individual code and a code family. This section is about deletion status in the FY 2021 update.

6. Tabular instruction revisions and note changes

   Reviews broad changes to tabular instructions, including note-type revisions and category-level updates. It explains that the annual manual includes numerous instruction changes beyond code listings.

7. Chapter-specific updates

   Summarizes selected revisions across chapters covering blood disorders, nervous system conditions, circulatory system conditions, and respiratory system conditions. The section presents the main subject areas affected without reproducing detailed guidance.