HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Today, hospitals and doctors use a system of about 18,000 codes to describe medical services in bills they send to insurers. A new federally mandated version will expand the number to around 140,000 — adding codes that describe precisely what bone was broken, or which artery is receiving a stent. The system, known as ICD-10, will provide a more exact accounting of diagnoses and inpatient procedures, which could improve payment strategies and care guidelines.