ICD-10 Coding Updates Every Practice Should Know

Annual updates take effect every October 1

The ICD-10-CM code set is updated each fiscal year on October 1, with hundreds of new, revised, and deleted codes. Claims submitted with deleted codes after the effective date are denied outright, and claims that do not use the most specific available code may be downcoded or flagged.

Practices that do not update their systems, superbills, and provider templates on time see a spike in denials every fall. The fix is a structured annual update process.

What to check each year

• Update your practice management and EHR code tables on the effective date

• Review the deleted code list against your top 50 most-used diagnosis codes

• Retrain providers on new specificity requirements in their specialty

• Update paper and electronic superbills and order sets

• Audit a sample of claims in the first month to confirm correct usage

Specificity drives reimbursement

Payers increasingly reject unspecified codes when a more specific option exists. Laterality, encounter type, severity, and complication codes must be documented and coded. Certified coders reviewing documentation before submission catch these gaps and give providers actionable feedback.

Our coding team at Simplify Billing Services completes update training before every October 1 release and audits client claims continuously, so your practice never loses revenue to a coding change.