Fibromyalgia is finally recognized as an official diagnosis! Please share this information
On October 1, 2015 fibromyalgia finally has its own official diagnosis code of ICD-10-CM codes formally approved in the US
ICD-10-CM, acronym for the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification, is a list of diagnostic codes for Medicare Services Centers and Medicaid and the National Center for Health Statistics to be used for medical information on US ICD-10-CM is based on ICD-10, the statistical classification of diseases published by the World Health Organization.
ICD codes are widely used in the health industry, including doctors, insurance companies and government agencies. They are used to identify diseases and disorders diagnosed and rank.
use by 1 October in the diagnosis of a patient with fibromyalgia, doctors were general code 729.1 – myalgia and myositis, unspecified. Any type of muscle soreness or inflammation can be incorporated into the code. But FM is recognized as a separate entity with its own code M79.7 – fibromyalgia.
Why is it important?
There are many potential benefits of an ICD-10-CM code for fibromyalgia, but four in particular come to mind.
The fact that fibromyalgia has its own diagnostic code makes it almost impossible for doctors who insist that it is not real. The World Health Organization and the US government gave its official approval.
ICD-10-CM codes are used by insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement decision-making. So far, some insurance companies refuse to cover treatments for fibromyalgia, insisting that it is not a real disease. They can not say the same.
Despite the disadvantage claims that they are not determined only based on a diagnosis that has recognized fibromyalgia as a legitimate diagnosis is one of the reasons, it is sometimes used as a basis for the denial and can lead to disability has a little easier win eliminate have.
Another diagnostic code will improve the coherence of research on fibromyalgia. Ginevra Liptaň, MD pointed out in his recent article in the National Pain Report, “The new code will also allow further analysis of the treatment of fibromyalgia results, details of many of these observational studies are collected by following the diagnostic codes. Without its own diagnostic code, fibromyalgia studies have been hampered by gouaches data including patients who really fibro, but another disease that causes muscle pain. ”
The culmination of a long journey
The trip to fibromyalgia legitimacy was fought long and hard. After letting it languish in obscurity for many years, one by one, the US government began to realize that fibromyalgia is real. The FDA cleared the way in 2007, when the first drug approved for the treatment of FM. Then in 2012, the Social Security Administration issued a decision that recognizes fibromyalgia as a legitimate impediment. Now, in 2015, Medicare and Medicaid Service Centers and the National Center for Health Statistics have an official diagnosis FM code.
This completes the trio of legitimacy and is a worthy celebration in March!
Editor Karen Lee Richards ProHealth. A fibromyalgia patient, she co-founded the non-profit organization, now known as the National Association of Fibromyalgia (NFA) and served as its vice president for eight years. He was also the editor of fibromyalgia aware, the first full-color, glossy magazine dedicated to FM and other invisible illnesses. After leaving the NFA, Karen served as a guide for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome About.com The New York Times Company, and then as the Network Guide Health Center Health Chronic Pain.
