On Thursday, most of the healthcare provider nation was closely monitoring the first day of the new ICD 10 codes hoping against hope that there was no catastrophe. With a total of 68,000 codes, versus the 13,000 under the OCD 9 scheme, there is a real opportunity for astute providers to maximize their reimbursement.
But there are also some ludicrous if not whacky diagnoses about which many are unaware.
Here are my top 10 favorites:
- Sucked Into a Jet Engine, Subsequent Encounter. If you have ever seen video of anyone sucked into a jet engine, you know that there is little chance for a subsequent encounter with a physician, nor a first.
- Bitten By a Pig, Initial Encounter — Now I can see that as a possibility… But, if that happened, would you freely admit that to your physician?
- Struck By A Duck, Subsequent Encounter — I know that ducks are mean spirited animals but a subsequent encounter?
- Burn Due to Water Skis On Fire, Subsequent Encounter — I hardly know what to say…
- Other Contact With A Cow, Subsequent Encounter. OK, to provide some perspective here, there is a code for bitten by a cow and another for kicked by a cow. I am just not sure what else the cow can do….
- Walked Into a Lamppost, Subsequent Encounter – If this happens to a patient more than once, refer them immediately to an ophthalmologist or a psychiatrist.
- Struck by a Macaw, Initial Encounter — The Macaw is an endangered bird so someone should be investigating why the patient got so close.
- Bizarre Personal Appearance — All I want to know is who gets to decide?
- Swimming Pool of a Prison as the Place of Occurrence of the External Cause — So, if you think that is a little weird, there is another code for Day Spa of Prison as Place of Occurrence.
- Spacecraft Collision Injuring Occupant — That there is even a code for this should make some of our brave Astronauts more than a little squeamish.