Bausch Health Companies Inc. and Salix Pharmaceuticals, announced its support of the publication of a new specific ICD-10 code from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) based on the growing incidence of chronic liver disease in the United States. Approximately 4.5 million adults in the U.S. have chronic liver disease1. As chronic liver disease progresses towards decompensated cirrhosis, patients may develop comorbid conditions such as portal hypertension, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy.

Up to 80% of people with cirrhosis may develop some form of HE2. HE is also a high driver of hospitalizations and readmissions in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The new K76.82 diagnosis code for patients with HE, a complication of cirrhosis, is based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) and announced by CMS to be used effective October 01, 2022.

The condition of HE can be misdiagnosed, and the availability of this new ICD-10 code will help health care providers properly document the diagnosis for these patients and thus advance efforts to ensure their clinical management is appropriate.