Question

What is not true about ICD-10-CM?

Select one:
a. The first 3 characters are the category
b. The last character is the extension
c. Character 2 is alpha
d. Contains 3-7 characters

Answer 1

The second character of ICD-10-CM is numeric, not alpha, making option c the incorrect statement about the ICD-10-CM structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is not true about ICD-10-CM is option c, 'Character 2 is alpha'. In the ICD-10-CM code structure, the first character is an alpha character, the second character is numeric, and the initial three characters of the code identify the category of the diagnosis. The fourth to sixth characters provide etiology, anatomical site, and severity, while the seventh character is the extension, which typically provides information on the encounter, the staging, or other useful clinical details.