CMS has approved six new ICD-9-CM codes for use in 2009.  If you are a regular reader of this blog, odds are very good that these codes are a required change on your superbills.  The new codes are in the 707 Skin Ulcer classification, but they do NOT replace any of our existing codes, they are meant to give you a mechanism to reflect additional information, specifiically, the pressure ulcer stage.

The new codes are as follows:

• 707.20   Pressure ulcer, unspecified stage
• 707.21   Pressure ulcer, Stage I
• 707.22   Pressure ulcer, Stage II
• 707.23   Pressure ulcer, Stage III
• 707.24   Pressure ulcer, Stage IV
• 707.25   Pressure ulcer, unstageable

Another interesting change also happened in this section.  The codeset was updated so that the codes 707.00 through 707.09 are no longer called 'Decubitus' ulcers, but are referred to as 'Pressure' ulcers.  Novel.