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The ICD-10 Browser Developed by SAMA and its annual licencing
- Anton van Schalkwyk (Medical Coding Specialist, SAMA)
The 2020 version ICD-10 Browser developed by SAMA has been made available to the industry through the SAMA webpage. This browser is being used by many practices across the private healthcare spectrum in order to align themselves with national ICD-10 standards.
South Africa’s official Master Industry Table (MIT) for ICD-10, as recognised by the Department of Health, is directly derived from the 2014 version of the World Health Organisation’s ICD-10 codes. This browser is aligned with the national MIT.
Online searches for correct ICD-10 codes often lead one to incompatible ICD-10 coding, as search engines such as Google give preference to the American ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) version [identified as ICD-10 on Google], which is a substantially expanded version of ICD-10 and not applicable to South African coding needs at all. Alternatively, online search engines will also likely direct you to the latest update of ICD-10 – the 2016 edition – which is not officially recognised in South Africa.
The SAMA ICD-10 browser features a more comprehensive ICD-10 experience than the reduced format that is included in the Medical Doctors’ Coding Manual browser (eMDCM) and Complete CPT for South Africa (eCCSA) browser, as it also includes the 2013 version of the PMB (Prescribed Minimum Benefits) list of codes and its links to ICD-10 codes. The ICD-10 browser also makes provision for searches with many common names of diseases, which enhances its effectiveness.
As is the case with the MDCM and CCSA browsers, there are continuous costs involved in making this software available. Because of this, the ICD-10 browser’s licencing fees, including the eMDCM and eCCSA browsers, needs to be renewed on an annual basis.
The licence purchased for 2020 is valid from 1 January 2020 until 31 December 2020 with a grace period of an extra two months. This extends until the end of February 2021.
This would mean that licences that were purchased in 2019 will cease to be valid on 29 February 2020 and needs to be renewed for the remainder of 2020 until 28 February 2021.
How to obtain your annual licence?
It is important to note that paid-up SAMA members do qualify for a discounted fee. It is therefore important that members who want to obtain the ICD-10 Browser log in to the secured membership page first or the SAMA webpage before proceeding to buy the product.
The ICD-10 browser licence may be bought online from the SAMA webpage (www.samedical.org).
• Click on the “SAMA Products” link on the SAMA webpage
• Scroll to the “ICD-10 Browser developed by SAMA”
• Click on “Buy Now” and complete the online process.
The pricing of the ICD-10 Browser are as follows:
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