From January 01, 2023, the OPS 2023 will be used for the coding of services in German hospitals and in the out-patient sector.
The preliminary version was published by the BfArM (formerly DIMDI) on its website on August 16, 2022.
This year, numerous changes in "notes", "inclusions" and "exclusions" are noticeable. Most of these adjustments are likely to be "clarifications and concretions". The extent to which this changes the previous coding of corresponding patients must be examined.
If such an adjustment results in so-called "sharpening" of the definition, then fewer patients will typically be coded with the OPS-code than in the past, and vice versa, more if the definition is "expanded."
This may also have an impact on reimbursement, as DRGs are typically calculated by the InEK using the costs of 2-year-old cases, which are thus also identified with OPS-codes that are no longer valid. It may be worthwhile for the medical industry to take a closer look and inform customers about the changes and differences, e.g., by means of reimbursement information (coding brochures).
In addition to the typical editorial and purely textual changes that do not lead to a shift in services coded with the OPS-code in question (e.g., "AB0 non-compatible" changed to "not AB0-compatible"), there are also numerous code differentiations, differentiations of code endings, code deletions and even introductions of new OPS-codes. We cannot provide a complete overview in this format, but allow us to explain some of the changes:
- For example, new OPS-codes for endovascular stent prosthesis implantation in the vena cava with and without valve function or monocaval and bicaval (5-38a.90, 5-38a.91, 5-38a.92) and correspondingly a non-specific OPS-code (5-38a.9x) were introduced in chapter "5".
- New OPS-codes for transgastric (5-529.t) or transduodenal (5-529.u) chemoablation were established in Chapter 5-52, "Operations on the Pancreas."
- Differentiated codes for "open surgical operations on the labrum acetabulare" (transplant, refixation, bone anchor) were introduced with the area 5-80a (5-80a.0, 5-80a.1, 5-80a.x and .y) thereby expanding the chapter of open surgical joint operations once again.
- In the area of ablative procedures for cardiac arrhythmias, a new OPS-code (8-835.k-) has been included for irreversible electroporation at various locations (8-835.k0 right atrium, 8-835.k1 AV node, 8-835.k2 right ventricle, 8-835.k3 left atrium, 8-835.k4 left ventricle, and 8-835.k5 pulmonary veins).
- In addition, the chapter Therapeutic Catheterization and Cannulation of Vessels (8-831) has been divided by various locations with numerous new OPS-codes for "placing" and "changing".
For additional information, analyses, etc., please feel free to contact us. You will find further information on the topic of reimbursement brochures and coding information here.
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