Problems with ICD-9

There are several problems with this current classification system (ICD-9) including:

• The ICD-9-CM Tabular List is running out of numbers to assign for codes and in some cases, new code proposals could not be adopted because of the limited space.

• The current ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes do not provide sufficient clinical specificity to describe the severity or complexity of the various disease conditions. In particular, the codes for healthcare encounters for other than disease (V codes) do not provide enough specificity. Consequently, there are increasing requirements for submission of additional documentation in order to support claims.

• The exchange of meaningful healthcare data with healthcare organizations and professionals around the world is hindered by the fact that many countries are presently using ICD-10 or a clinical modification of it (Australia and Canada, for example, have modifications). Even in the US, mortality statistics (information on death certificates) have been collected using ICD-10 since 1999.

• The current ICD-9-CM system is ineffective for effectively monitoring utilization of resources, measuring performance, and analyzing healthcare costs and outcomes.

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