Today marks the launch of new ICD-10 medical coding system leading to increase in numbers of descriptive codes to 68,000 from 14,000 in ICD-9. The new diagnostic list has been launched after two major deadline extensions and affecting every U.S. healthcare provider and insurance company.

Descriptions for diseases, symptoms, abnormal findings, patient complaints, causes of injury or illnesses and even social circumstances are included in the new diagnostic list. Linda Reed, the CIO at Atlantic Health, is expecting today’s changeover to the new ICD-10 medical coding system will be like Y2K. It has been reported that the some of the diagnostic codes like Code Z63.1 and Code V97.33XD can be absurd as they describe ‘Problems in relationship with in-laws’ and ‘Patients sucked into a jet engine’.

The coding system offers far more accurate way to describe old and new diagnoses, diseases and medical procedures. The list for ICD-10 medical coding system was formulated by the World Health Organization in 1993. This list was largely adopted by the Czech Republic in 1994, Canada in 2001 and China in 2002. Matthew Winestock, a spokesman for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), said that there are some countries that are planning to roll out at ICD-11.

About 90% of hospital respondents believed they were ready for the Oct. 1 transition, according to the survey by the nonprofit Work Group for Electronic Data Exchange in August. Matthew said that the new ICD-10 codes will explain how Americans spend more than $2.8 trillion every year on medical care is paid out.