2022 ICD 10 CM Updates Now Available – Post COVID-19 and SDH Codes Included
2022 ICD 10 CM Updates Now Available – Post COVID-19 and SDH Codes Included
The CDC has posted the FY 2022 ICD-10-CM codes on their website (CDC, 2021). An overview of the 2022 Guidelines will also be available here. In addition, you can review the previous article on the 2022 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule, “2022 IPPS Proposed Rule Includes New Codes, Proposed MS-DRG Changes & Bi-Annual Code Update Possibility”, published on the YES HIM Consulting Blog here.
As expected, the codes in the 2022 Addenda are substantially the same, but a few additional codes discussed at the Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting on March 9-10, 2021, are also included (CDC, 2021). Those codes are also discussed below.
A comprehensive review of all of the changes for ICD-10-CM is also included in the ICD-10 Updates collection by YES HIM Education.
Post COVID-19 Condition
Firstly, a code was added by the World Health Organization (WHO), U09, for conditions that are identified as long-term effects of COVID-19 infections. These conditions can range from symptoms such as loss of smell or taste, or include other conditions, such as chronic respiratory failure. The same ICD-10 code is thus being added to ICD-10-CM (CDC, 2021).
Social Determinants of Health
The importance of Social Determinants of Health (SDH) and their impact on health care and costs have been studied extensively in the past decades. To this end, in 2017, national experts met in Washington, D.C., to discuss identified problems, address terminology issues, and to initiate the Gravity Project. In addition, according to the Gravity Project’s website, “the name reflects the driving influence of social context on health and the strong and growing movement around social and medical care integration. Documenting and sharing SDH-related assessment, diagnosis, and treatment information using modern coding and exchange standards has the potential to improve whole person care and health outcomes” (HL7 International, 2021).
Therefore, the experts convened the project in 2019. The goal was to develop these data elements and standards using a range of experts: key stakeholders across the medical and social care community (patients, providers, payers, community-based organizations, vendors, and government). The Project’s terminology recommendations span all U.S. applicable coding systems: ICD-10-CM, SNOMED CT, LOINC, and CPT/HCPCS when appropriate.
In addition, the proposal for new SDH codes is the Gravity Project’s first ICD-10-CM code request submission. To learn more, visit the Project’s website here.
2022 Social Determinants of (SDH) codes
You can find the SDH codes in the Z55-Z65 code block: Persons with potential health hazards related to socioeconomic and psychosocial circumstances and are listed below.
| Z55.5 | Less than a high school diploma |
| Z58.6 | Inadequate drinking-water supply |
| Z59.00 | Homelessness unspecified |
| Z59.01 | Sheltered homelessness |
| Z59.02 | Unsheltered homelessness |
| Z59.41 | Food insecurity |
| Z59.48 | Other specified lack of adequate food |
| Z59.811 | Housing instability, housed, with risk of homelessness |
| Z59.812 | Housing instability, housed, homelessness in past 12 months |
| Z59.819 | Housing instability, housed unspecified |
| Z59.89 | Other problems related to housing and economic circumstances |
Analysts anticipate that updated guidelines will accompany the Post COVID-19 Condition code and the SDH codes. You can find further information on these guidelines and a comprehensive review of all of the changes for ICD-10-CM in the ICD-10 Updates collection by YES HIM Education.
According to the ICD-10 Coordination and Maintenance Committee Meeting held on March 9-10, 2021, the CDC will publish the 2022 Hospital IPPS Final Rule in the Federal Register as mandated by Public Law 99-509 on August 1, 2021 (CDC, 2021). This rule will also include links to all the final codes to be implemented on October 1, 2021 (CDC, 2021).
For additional information regarding ICD-10 or the annual updates, review these articles:
- CMS Releases FY 2022 ICD-10-PCS Code Updates File
- 2022 IPPS Proposed Rule Includes New Codes, Proposed MS-DRG Changes & Bi-Annual Code Update Possibility
- Updates to FAQs for COVID-19 Immunization Reactions, Sequelae, & Other Issues
Teri Jorwic, MPH, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, FAHIMA, co-authored this article with Ann Zeisset, RHIT, CCS, CCS-P.
