APA Sets Record Straight on HIPAA Compliance of DSM Code Sets

In response to misinformation circulating on the Internet indicating that DSM-IV and DSM-5 do not provide HIPAA-compliant code sets and may not be used in HIPAA standard transactions, APA has issued a statement correcting those claims.

As DSM-5 was being developed, the authors were aware that ICD-10-CM would be implemented as the standard medical coding system for use in the United States beginning October 1, 2014. Because DSM-5 was released in May 2013, APA included both the valid and HIPAA-compliant ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes associated with each disorder so that the diagnostic criteria and the HIPAA-complaint ICD codes could be found in one place.

Accordingly, ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes are the only codes in DSM-5 and both are HIPAA compliant.

For information concerning DSM-5 and ICD codes, see "Understanding ICD-10-CM and DSM-5: A Quick Guide for Psychiatrists and Other Mental Health Clinicians" on APA's website.