Struggling with ICD-10 implementation? Our firm can help

While many healthcare providers have spent a great deal of time (and money) preparing for the Oct. 1 transition to ICD-10, as with any new system, problems are sure to arise. Remember what happened with the roll-out of Healthcare.gov?

Although there have been many implementation delays over the last few years, this no longer is the case. Claims with a date of service on or after Oct. 1, 2015 will only be accepted if they contain a valid ICD-10 code.

In recent months, healthcare providers have been educating staff and training them to use the new ICD-10 codes, of which there are many. ICD-9 had just 13,000 codes while ICD-10 has 68,000.

If you are still not prepared, you are not alone. As recently as August, a survey of healthcare organization leaders conducted by Porter Research by Navicure found that while readiness was improving, 57 percent of respondents were still not on track. Meantime, more than 50 percent of the respondents anticipate negative impacts on their organization’s finances, operations and staff morale.

Physicians should arm themselves with a list of the most common diagnose codes used by their practice to which they can easily refer. Practices should establish internal processes for auditing medical records. This should help you to prepare for possible outside audits and it can help to protect your practice from liability. If you have not already, you should be testing claims, eligibility verification and quality reporting.

Regardless of how much training your practice may have undergone, real-world use can be unpredictable. What stop-gap measures do you have in place should problems arise? What happens if it impacts your practice’s revenue cycle? Are you prepared for more claim denials than usual? What if there’s a lag in payment? Do you have financial safety net in place? In that Navicure survey, 56 percent of respondents cited impact on revenue and cash flow as their top concern.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is assuring providers that it has tested and re-tested its systems to ensure as smooth a transition as possible and that is prepared to assist should problems present.

Even if you are struggling with the ICD-10 transition, it’s not too late. The Health Care Offices of Anthony C. Vitale can assist clients with ICD-10 training to make sure their practice is prepared. Contact us for additional information