ICD-10 Is Coming! Are You Ready?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has mandated that all claims with a date of service on or after October 1, 2014 use ICD-10. HHS insists this is a firm deadline, so now is the time to begin preparing. ICD-10 is considered by many to be the biggest change our industry has ever seen, as the diagnosis coding system will expand from 14,000 to nearly 70,000 codes.
Due to the enormity of this switch, CMS and other payers are warning providers of possible payment disruptions during the transition period, and recommending they keep a three to six month cash reserve to mitigate any cash disruptions during this time.
What is HCA doing to help you prepare for ICD-10?
We created a series of extensive ICD-10 crosswalks using your most commonly used ICD-9 codes.
We are in the process of finalizing new ICD-10 superbills that we will send to your office for review. We will ask that you provide us with feedback such as questions or desired changes, so that we can provide you a final draft to practice with well in advance of the October 1st deadline.
We will release memos with ICD-10 updates, as well as guidelines for documentation and code selection.
Our staff is always here to answer any questions you may have.
What should you do to prepare for ICD-10?
Start familiarizing yourself with the general structure of ICD-10, as well as the new codes for your most commonly used diagnoses.
Review the documentation requirements needed to select and support the more specific ICD-10 codes.
Attend ICD-10 seminars, webinars, or workshops related to your specialty.
Practice dual coding using both ICD-9 and ICD-10 on your charges.
HCA is working diligently to make the ICD-10 transition as smooth as possible, but providers will need a sound understanding of the new system in order to select the most appropriate codes. Please contact our office if you have questions or concerns about how to best prepare.