ICD 10 Coding Basics — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does ICD-10 stand for?
- International Code of Diseases version 10
- International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (Correct answer)
- Internal Coding Dictionary 10
- Integrated Classification of Diagnostics 10
Correct answer: International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision
ICD-10 is the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, maintained by the World Health Organization for classifying diseases and health conditions.
Question 2: How many characters can an ICD-10-CM code have?
- 3-5
- 3-7 (Correct answer)
- 5-10
- Exactly 5
Correct answer: 3-7
ICD-10-CM codes range from 3 to 7 characters, with the first three being the category and additional characters providing greater specificity.
Question 3: What does the first character of an ICD-10-CM code represent?
- The body system
- A letter (A-Z, except U) indicating the chapter/category of disease (Correct answer)
- The severity
- The provider type
Correct answer: A letter (A-Z, except U) indicating the chapter/category of disease
The first character is always a letter that corresponds to a specific chapter of the ICD-10-CM classification, such as J for respiratory diseases.
Question 4: What is the difference between ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS?
- They are the same
- CM is for diagnosis coding; PCS is for inpatient procedure coding (Correct answer)
- CM is for outpatient; PCS is for outpatient
- CM is older than PCS
Correct answer: CM is for diagnosis coding; PCS is for inpatient procedure coding
ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) codes diagnoses across all settings. ICD-10-PCS (Procedure Coding System) codes inpatient procedures in hospitals.
Question 5: What is a placeholder character 'x' used for in ICD-10-CM?
- To mark codes as experimental
- To fill positions when a code requires more characters but has no valid value for intermediate positions (Correct answer)
- To indicate an uncertain diagnosis
- To mark obsolete codes
Correct answer: To fill positions when a code requires more characters but has no valid value for intermediate positions
The placeholder 'x' fills empty character positions in codes that need a 7th character extension but do not have valid 4th, 5th, or 6th character options.
Question 6: What is the correct format for an ICD-10-CM code?
- All numbers
- A letter followed by two numbers, then a decimal point, then up to four alphanumeric characters (Correct answer)
- Only letters
- Numbers then letters
Correct answer: A letter followed by two numbers, then a decimal point, then up to four alphanumeric characters
ICD-10-CM codes start with a letter, followed by two numbers (the category), a decimal point, then up to four additional alphanumeric characters for specificity.
ICD 10 Coding Basics
What does ICD-10 stand for?