Examining the Details of the Recent Updates to MS-DRGs

By Susan Gatehouse, RHIT, CCS, CPC, AHIMA-Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer ​​​​​

As we near the end of what some consider the most unprecedented year in coding, there are more updates to review and decipher in preparation for 2021. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under the National Emergencies Act Section 201 and 301, announced further additions to ICD-10-CM classification related to COVID-19. And, CMS has posted new guidelines for ICD-10 CM/PCS coding and an updated MS-DRGs, Version 38.1 ─ all effective Jan. 1, 2021. Updates include new ICD-10-CM and PCS codes for COVID-19.

In an article published for ICD-10 Monitor, Axea Solutions CEO, Susan Gatehouse outlines specifics of the CDC additions to ICD-10-CM classification of COVID-19, the new guidelines, and the updated MS-DRGs, Version 38.1 in a recent article for ICD-10 monitor news. 

Read the article in its entirety on the ICD-10 monitor news website. 
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

The CMS announcement, which contains the list of 21 PCS codes can be accessed on the CMS website

The Index and Tabular Addenda for the new codes can be found on the CDC’s ICD-10-CM page