The International FPIES Association (I-FPIES) is excited to share that the official diagnosis code (K52.21) for Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) will take effect on October 1, 2016.
Securing the ICD-10 code was an ambitious initiative for the International FPIES Association (I-FPIES). The condition did not previously have a specific code, making it difficult for the medical community to determine how large a percentage of the population has FPIES. We proposed a new ICD-10-CM code to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in 2012.
The first specific diagnosis code for FPIES was approved in June 2013. The code did not take effect right away due to the delayed transition from the current ICD-9 coding system to the new ICD-10 coding system. The code was further delayed from its scheduled implementation in October 2015 due to a partial code freeze for ICD-10. I-FPIES leadership continued to advocate with the CDC and NCHS for the past year on behalf of our community to help ensure the code’s implementation in 2016.
“The introduction of an individual code for FPIES is a critically important milestone for the patients and the medical professionals taking care of them. The code will enable more accurate diagnosis and allow for tracking the frequency of FPIES diagnosis. I am thrilled to see this happen because of the I-FPIES initiative.”
Dr. Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn
I-FPIES Medical Chair and Associate Professor of
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Mt. Sinai
Make It Count! Using the Code
The ICD-10-CM coding system is an international classification system that groups related diseases and procedures for the purpose of reporting statistical information. ICD-10-CM codes provide a uniform language, and thereby serve as an effective means for reliable communication among physicians, patients, and third parties. ICD-10-CM codes are necessary for billing, insurance and medical records, disease management, treatment advances, research and national statistics.
As of October 1, 2016, FPIES can finally be coded properly, but only if your physician and hospital use the new code. Use of these codes is critical to tracking and understanding the healthcare burden associated with FPIES.
NCHS has classified the following code to designate FPIES:
K52.21: Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome
Bring this announcement with you to your next appointment and explain to your physician the importance of using the proper code.
A Brighter Future Ahead
“Approval of this ICD-10-CM code is exciting because it helps make the unknown known. It will allow for accurate classification of this condition and bring awareness of FPIES to a whole new level.”
Fallon Schultz
I-FPIES Founder and President
In 2012, our community helped us write a key page in the history for FPIES. Every letter or e-mail sent on behalf of a child with FPIES made an impact. And because of our collective voice, families who walk the same road in the future will be less likely to suffer from delayed diagnosis or a lack of treatment opportunities. Knowledge, awareness, research, funding: we are only beginning to know the reach this code will have.
