Clinicians preparing and training for implementation of the ICD-10 code set have encountered some unusual results. In an effort to be more specific, eliminate waste, reduce fraud and save money, the ICD-10 codes are very specific, sometimes to the point of being humorous.
Practitioners can now provide coding that may leave insurance companies wondering about their clients and the activities in which they’ve been engaging. Every clinician remembers a strange or unique situation for which they’ve billed – and the difficulty they had explaining it to the patient’s insurance company. The following are some examples of the unusual and sometimes humorous coding available with ICD-10.
Members of the animal kingdom can be unpredictable, but ICD-10 coding points out just how unanticipated some situations can really be, from fast moving turtles to equine collisions. In the animal category, practitioners will find some interesting injuries to be noted and places where the event took place.
- W59.22XA – Struck by a turtle
- W611.2XS – Struck by a macaw, initial encounter
- S30.867A – Anal insect bite, non-poisonous
- V80.730A – Animal-rider injured in collision with a trolley
- Y92.72 – Injury obtained in a chicken coop
All families have problems, but it seems that some clichéd situations are eternal. When families have problems, there’s a code for that.
- Z63.1 – Problem with in-laws
- Z62.891 – Sibling rivalry
- W21.31XS – Struck with footwear
- Z62.1 – Parental overprotection
- Z73.4 – Inadequate social skills, not elsewhere classified
- R46.1 – Bizarre personal appearance
- G44.82 – Headache associated with sexual activity
- R45.2 – Unhappiness
- The arts can be dangerous and that’s amply demonstrated by ICD-10 codes that identify the supposedly safe venues in which to enjoy entertainment, but may not be as protected as individuals might think.
- Y92.253 – Injured in an opera house
- Y9250 – Injured at an art gallery
- Y92.26 – Movie house or cinema
- Y92.251 – Museum
Work-related accidents and injuries are a common complaint for medical professionals and the new codes reflect such injuries. It would appear that some individuals are at high risk of being injured is some unique ways, and some return for an encore performance.
- V97.33XD – sucked into a jet engine, subsequent encounter
- X52 – Prolonged stay in weightless environment
- V95.41XA – Spacecraft crash injuring occupant
- Z89.419 – Acquired absence of unspecified great toe
Leisure time activities account for a large portion of injuries. Sports-related injuries top the list, but there are some lesser known activities that can be just as dangerous. When it comes to leisure time activities, clients are presented with multiple opportunities for injuries.
- V91.07XA – Burn due to water skis on fire
- Y93.D1 – Stabbed while knitting or crocheting.
- Y92.146 – Hurt at prison swimming pool
- T63 – Unspecified event, undetermined intent (to be specific)
Some of the ICD-10 codes bring to mind weird and wacky laws that have outlived their usefulness, but have never been removed from the books. It bears remembering that while some codes were developed to address potential problems and injuries of the future as technology advances, many of the codes currently exist because a particular situation actually happened to someone, somewhere, sometime…
