♦ Serves as the U.S. clearinghouse for issues related to the use of ICD-9 codes
♦ Works with NCHS and CMS to maintain the integrity of the classification system
♦ Recommends revisions and modifications to the current and future revisions of the ICD
♦ Develops educational material and programs on ICD-9-CM
This office also serves in a representation and advocacy role on national classification and data issues. In addition, the AHA Central Office on ICD-9-CM is the publisher of the nationally respected AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9-CM, available in print or on CD-ROM.
Question submission to AHA Central Office on ICD-9-CM
To submit an ICD-9-CM related question to the Central Office on ICD-9-CM, please click here to download the form. All questions must be faxed or mailed to the AHA Central Office.
Information on How Questions are Processed
The following describes how a question submitted to the AHA Central Office is processed. It is a rigorous review where both the complexity and uniqueness of the question determines response time. This process ensures the integrity and reliability of the answer provided.
Each question submitted with all necessary supporting medical record documentation is assigned a unique ID and entered into the AHA Central Office database.
The internal database, previous AHA Coding Clinic advice, guidelines and Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) minutes are reviewed to determine if the issue has been previously addressed.
If the issue has been addressed, a response is drafted. The response is reviewed by the AHA Central Office staff and if consensus is reached, the response is approved and sent.
If the question has never been addressed before or consensus cannot be reached, it is submitted to the EAB and the requestor is notified.
The AHA Central Office staff is responsible for reviewing all related medical literature, contacting requestor for additional information and medical experts as needed.
This cumulative research is included in the issue summary document prepared for the EAB along with possible code options. Once reviewed and approved, it is included in the agenda for the next EAB meeting.
Review by the EAB is an iterative process. The issue summary document is reviewed and discussed during the EAB meeting. The group may determine an answer at that time or request additional research be conducted and presented at a subsequent EAB meeting.
Once an answer is derived, consensus must be reached among the Cooperating Parties --- AHIMA, AHA, CMS and NCHS. The Cooperating Parties may accept or request additional research and re-review.
If accepted, the formal response is drafted, reviewed and signed-off by the Cooperating Parties.