ICD-10: 198.5’s Combination Approach Sees a Change Under ICD-10

Be sure documentation clearly distinguishes bone from bone marrow metastases.

ICD-10 will double your coding options for secondary neoplasms of bone and bone marrow.

ICD-9: Under ICD-9 2011, you report 198.5 (Secondary malignant neoplasm of other specified sites; bone and bone marrow) to indicate the confirmed presence of cancer that has spread from a different (primary) site to the bones or bone marrow.

ICD-10: The new code set, planned to take effect Oct. 1, 2013, instead may offer two distinct codes:

• C79.51, Secondary malignant neoplasm of bone
• C79.52, Secondary malignant neoplasm of bone marrow.

Documentation: The switch to two separate codes means that clear [...]

- Published on 2011-08-05