As an industry, the transition to HIPAA 5010 has been a learning opportunity – especially showing the benefits of planning and questioning a vendor’s capabilities early on. These lessons can be taken and applied to the next big transition – ICD-10, which will be the required coding set starting on October 1, 2013. Many people in the industry believe that there is plenty of time before the transition, and that they can start the transition process at a later time. However, now is the time for practices to start preparing for the coding change. So when I was recently given the opportunity to speak with a writer from For the Record about how the transition to ICD-10 would impact the industry and how practices should prepare, I was happy to share my thoughts.

At the start of this conversation, we focused on how this transition would impact everyone in the healthcare industry. It was the coders, though, that quickly became the focal point of our discussion. Specifically, we talked about the types of questions coders should be asking when preparing an ICD-10 transition plan. These questions include:

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The process of preparing for and converting to ICD-10 has many moving parts. As practices, health plans, and other vendors work toward the October 1, 2013 deadline, I have been hearing lots of questions about how to successfully manage the conversion. Today, I will answer a few of the more commonly asked questions pertaining to the conversion.

At this point, what stage should our payers be in regarding ICD-10 implementation? Should they be ahead of us?

Since payers and vendors will lay the technology groundwork for what practices must do to successfully transition to ICD-10, they should be well into their ICD-10 work plan and ahead of where practices are today. Most large health plans are in the midst of readying themselves for the new code set and may be starting small tests. It is a good idea to reach out to your payers to understand their progress to date, as well as how you can work with them to make the ICD-10 transition as smooth as possible.

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Thank you to everyone who joined us on September 22 for our latest webinar, 5010 and ICD-10: Ensure Minimal Impact for Your Practice. During the one-hour event, industry expert Rhonda Buckholtz, CPC, CPMA, CPC-I, CGSC, COBGC, CPEDC, CENTC, the American Academy of Professional Coders’ Vice President of ICD-10 Education and Training, discussed how careful planning can ensure organizations have minimal financial and operational disruptions when 5010 and ICD-10 are implemented and what steps your practice can be taking now to prepare both business and clinical staff members for the pending changes.

To learn more about how your practice can improve its ability to track quality measurements and prepare your staff for the 5010 and ICD-10 changes, click here to download the webinar recording.

This program meets AAPC guidelines for 1.0 Core A or 1.0 CPCO specialty CEUs. On Demand product requires successful completion of a Post-Test for continuing education units.

As the deadlines for transitioning to HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10 rapidly approach, all practices are beginning to wonder what they should be doing to prepare for the changes. To help prepare practices for the transitions, we will be answering some of the most common questions about 5010 and ICD-10 in the coming months.

• How do we update to 5010? Depending on your practice’s stance, everyone will make this transition differently. A lot of this also depends on how you submit claims. For example, many clearinghouses are working to implement processes that will automatically convert data into the proper format. With that being said, every practice should check with their healthcare technology (HIT) vendors to find out what steps they will be required to take and how the transitions will impact them. If you don’t have a clearinghouse, you will have to test with every one of your direct payers.
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Thank you to everyone who attended our March 24 webinar, ICD-10 and 5010 – Understanding the Challenge at Hand. In this one hour event, industry expert, Kim Reid, CPC, approved PMCC instructor for the American Academy of Professional Coders and Northeast Regional Director for AAPC Physician Services, highlighted the distinctions between 5010 and ICD-10; potential challenges practices would face during both transitions; and key steps practices should be taking right now to prepare.

Click here to download this free webinar to learn more about the ICD-10 and 5010 changes and how they will impact your practice.

Earn 1.0 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) by viewing this webinar.

We are happy to announce the launch of a new website – ICD-10 Hub – which is part of a new partnership between Navicure and AAPC. The purpose of the site is to provide all medical practices with helpful information and in-depth resources to assist with the 5010 and ICD-10 transitions. ICD-10 Hub will compliment and bolster the practice management information you already receive on this blog.

Devoted to helping every practice successfully move to 5010 and ICD-10, ICD-10 Hub allows you to download webinars, read blogs and catch up on the latest news the industry has to offer. Some of the content currently available includes:

• 5010 Timeline – This one-page overview details what steps you and your technology vendors should be taking, plus when to successfully transition to 5010.
• ICD-9 to ICD-10 Mapping – This reference sheet lays out how ICD-9 codes translate to ICD-10 codes.
• 5010 Payer Announcement Updates – This “living” document relays the steps each individual payer has taken and is planning to take in the near future to ensure their preparedness for 5010. This information will be updated frequently with the latest information you need to know.
• Recorded Webinars – Multiple webinars, which each focus on a different aspect of the transitions, are available for free download from the site.

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You’ve probably heard it before, but it is worth reiterating: Start preparing to transition to ICD-10 now. Most experts believe, with good reason, that the 2013 deadline will not be delayed. Those who are not prepared to correctly submit ICD-10 codes on the implementation date simply will not get paid.

The magnitude of the change is no small matter, either. The roughly 14,000 now-familiar ICD-9-CM codes will be replaced by about 69,000 ICD-10-CM codes; the current 4,000 or so ICD-9-PCS codes will swell to about 72,000 ICD-10-PCS codes. In all settings, physicians will need to provide much more explicit documentation. Read More ›

Even if you’ve worked in healthcare only a short time, you’ve probably noticed that many providers are overwhelmed by the idea of ICD-10-CM and may not know quite where to start. In addition, transition to these new code sets has been pending for so long that healthcare professionals still aren’t convinced these deadlines are “really real.” The common quip for years now: “I’ll be retired before it happens!”

But the truth is that you already lag behind suggested timelines if you haven’t mapped out your transition plan. Read More ›