Medicare Claims Processing Manual (Pub. 100-04), Ch. 23 § 10.1
General Rules for Diagnosis Codes
10.1 - General Rules for Diagnosis Codes
(Rev. 3081, Issued: 09-26-14, Effective: Upon Implementation of ICD-10, Implementation: Upon
Implementation of ICD-10)
The Official ICD-9-CM Coding Guidelines can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/icd/icd9cm_addenda_guidelines.htm
The Official ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Coding Guidelines can be found with the annual ICD-10-CM
and ICD-10-PCS updates at http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/ICD10/index.html
The CMS understands that physicians may not always provide suppliers of DMEPOS with the most specific
diagnosis code, and may provide only a narrative description. In those cases, suppliers may choose to utilize
a variety of sources to determine the most specific diagnosis code to include on the individual line items of
the claim. These sources may include, but are not limited to: coding books and resources, contact with
physicians or other health professionals, documentation contained in the patient’s medical record, or
verbally from the patient’s physician or other healthcare professional.
Beneficiaries are not required to submit diagnosis codes on beneficiary-submitted claims. Beneficiary-
submitted claims are filed on Form CMS-1490S. For beneficiary-submitted claims, the A/B MAC (B) must
develop the claim to determine a current and valid diagnosis code and may enter the code on the claim.