3 Specialties Facing Important ICD-10 Code Changes

ICD-10 implementation is confirmed to take place on October 1. Any remaining hopes for further postponing of the new coding system have completely vanished by now. While this may appear as good news to some people, October 1 is actually a deadline for all physicians and medical practices to complete the training and testing phase of their ICD-10 conversion plan, in order to avoid Penalties from CMS. 

ICD-10 training and testing is not all that medical practices must prepare for before October 1.

Physicians must be ready to face some major drawbacks of ICD-10 that will hit Medical Practices hard in the first few months like slowed productivity, reimbursement in capabilities and stalled cash flow. ICD-10 codes transition is another important negative aspect that will affect practice Revenue Cycle Management of various medical specialties. Some medical specialties will be facing more difficulty in transition as compared to others, not just because of the increase in number of codes but other variations in the coding structure as well. Some of these specialties are as follows:

1. Cardiology

Cardiologists will not only have to trouble themselves with learning additional and specified codes for every diagnosis, but also interpret the actual definition of the statement. Some diagnoses have undergone definition changes in the new coding system. For example, the acute phase of myocardial infarction originally lasts for 8 weeks in ICD-9, but is being reduced to 4 weeks in ICD-10. Some diagnoses of ICD-9 are not mentioned in ICD-10 either. Like for example, the ICD-9 code 410.00 of “an unspecified episode of care” for AMI of the anterolateral wall, when converted to ICD-10 becomes I21.09, which does not address episode of care at all. Similarly, some diagnosis that required two separate ICD-9 codes, have been converted to one ICD-10 code. These changes make it all the more difficult for cardiologists to be Ready for ICD-10 before the deadline.

2. Neurology

The neurologists are in no better situation. According to the American Academy of Neurology, neurology diagnosis codes have entered a whole other level of complexity in ICD-10 coding system. For example, the new ICD-10 code for Alzheimer’s disease is G30.9, when converted from ICD-9 code 331.0. After that, ICD-10 further specifies Alzheimer’s disease in 3 different ICD-10 codes: G30.0 for Alzheimer’s disease with early onset, G30.1 for Alzheimer’s disease with late onset and G30.8 for Other Alzheimer’s disease. Similarly, CMS provides 10 addition ICD-10 codes for Migraines, which originally had only one ICD-9 code, 346.90.

3. Pediatrics

Like the former two medical specialties, pediatricians must also be prepared to deal with an upcoming large collection of complex codes for various specified diagnosis. In ICD-9, bronchiolitis has only one code (466.11) while in ICD-10 it is specified in two different diagnoses, RSV (J21.0) and human metapneumovirus (J21.1). A common ICD-9 code 774.6 (for unspecified neonatal jaundice) when converted through the ICD-9 to ICD-10 converter, will become P59.9. This is a code for a specified jaundice diagnosis.

The new complicated variations in ICD-10 coding system will be quite a challenge for physicians to learn in such a short time. Even if physicians and billers do manage to adjust to the new coding system, the probability of them making errors in patient documentation and claim processing will still be very high in the first few months post ICD-10 Implementation. The new coding system regulations make it compulsory for physicians to mention the specified diagnosis in their documentation and not to miss any detail, because according to the popular ICD-10 phrase; “If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen!” 

Must Know secrets for easier EHR Documentation

Documentation consumes more than a quarter of the time  that clinical staff and physicians save for patient care. In this webinar, CureMD will share some secrets from which medical practices can benefit by documenting more effectively and focus more on patient care.

Must Know secrets for easier EHR Documentation from CureMD on Vimeo.

Must know Secrets For Easier EHR Documentation from CureMD

What impact will ICD-10 have on your practice?

ICD-10 is expected to be implemented on 1^st October, 2015. Despite how far it sounds, providers are running short of time to prepare their practices for the new coding system. In contrast to the existing ICD-9 coding system, ICD-10 is much bigger.

All the coding experts who are well versed with ICD-9 codes will have to go through training for the new coding system from scratch. The latest version of ICD-10 contains over 68,000 codes, as compared to the 13,000 ICD-9 codes. However, it is not necessary to memorize all these codes, especially for small and medium sized physician groups, who should only be concerned with codes related to their particular practices. The major impact of ICD-10 will be on the following key areas:

1.     Financial sustainability

CMS experts are of the view that a decrease in cash flow and revenue will follow the implementation of ICD-10. They have predicted that claim denial rates could increase by 100 to 200 percent and revenue of healthcare organizations could witness declining payments for at least two years post implementation. Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P.C (PYA) identified seven key areas of the continuum of revenue cycle management that organizations must focus on to Prepare for ICD-10. These include updating and testing IT software, adjusting account receivable reserves, preparing for future delayed payments, and keeping track of expected denials.

2.     Workforce

Arrival of ICD-10 will not only be troublesome for coders, but for office staff as well. Preparation for ICD-10 can indirectly affect front-end tasks like patient scheduling, pre-certification, pre-registration and case management functionality. So other than coders, office staff must also be well-educated and trained to deal with the new coding procedures. 

3.     Provider and Vendor Readiness

Although the implementation date for ICD-10 was announced a long time ago, some providers are still stuck in the planning and strategy implementation phase of ICD-10. Moreover, there are others who have not yet established their ICD-10 budgets. Vendors on the other hand are also exposed to a high level of risk when it comes to ICD-10. Providers must ensure that their vendors have upgraded their IT systems and trained their workforce to be ICD-10 ready. Failure of vendors to be prepared for the new coding system is an indication that providers need to look for a new vendor who is capable of meeting their needs.

With so many issues, you’re probably wondering ; why go through the hassle of implementing ICD-10 for your practice? Michael Wilson, Chief Executive of Healthcare information Management (HIM), said that the new ICD-10 diagnosis and procedural codes will lead to accurate payment of new and better procedures, improved administrative performance and enhanced patient care. Other benefits for providers after the twoyear trouble post ICD-10 implementation will be greater efficiency, fewer fraudulent claims and more accurate reimbursements. 

Claim Scrubber : Stop Fighting Denials! Know up to 98% of your rejections before submitting a claim 

Stop Fighting Denials!

Claim denials for the average practice could rise by 100% post ICD-10. Which areas of your practice will ICD-10 affect, where do you need to focus, and what do must you to do to avoid the potential catastrophe that lurks ahead? Watch this video for the answers to all these questions.
 

Claim Scrubber Webinar from CureMD

Road to ICD-10 ... stop fighting denials... by curemd

The Shakespearean World of ICD-10 Mental Disorders

William Shakespeare’s works are known for their universality. His plays and characters are relatable to every time and age. These plays reflect the depravity of society that manifests in the form of human mental disorders including psychopathology.

For Further Read Visit : http://blog.curemd.com/the-shakespearean-world-of-icd-10-mental-disorders/

Is the clash with ICD-10 unavoidable?

October 1, 2015 is the date when healthcare providers must switch from the existing ICD-9 codes to the new and improved ICD-10 code set. The changes seem so extreme that many doctors are still unsure if they’ll be able to adhere to the transition without significant revenue losses.

The change

The existing ICD-9 codes are approximately 17,000 in total, while the updated ICD-10 codes will exceed 155,000 and preparation for these will not only require excess knowledge, but also significant amounts of training and efforts. If your practice is unable to understand, follow and execute these diagnosis-based codes into its workflows in time; you will lose out on a lot of money through Claim Denials and Rejections.

Come October, you will not be allowed to send out claims using ICD-9 codes; you will instead require completely new ones for ICD-10. So how will they differ from the ones in ICD-9? First of all, they will be extremely specific and more comprehensive. That will be in the form of additional sub-codes for each diagnosis and procedure applied. Additionally, the format of ICD-10 codes will differ from their counterparts in ICD-9, and they will have to be learnt all over again.

Workflows at your practice could be disrupted as learning relevant codes from an option base of 155,000 will be no simple task.

What’s important?

On the HealthIT front, your Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) solutions will play a big part.  Their vendor’s readiness will be extremely crucial. A foolproof plan for mapping and the actual conversion, options for training, and the availability of software upgrades will be the most important factors.

Now even with a web based EHR and a PM ready for the conversion, there’s still the training of your staff that needs to be handled. Are you looking to hire a ICD-10 team, depute a ICD-10 champion at your practice, or outsource your medical billing? Even then, who will train your nurses, physicians and support staff, and will they be ready before time?

The clash is unavoidable, and preparation is the best way to meet the challenge!

Should a practice Outsource Billing to prepare for ICD 10 Challenge

Should a practice Outsource Billing to prepare for ICD 10 Challenge HD

Our latest webinar “Should a Practice Outsource Billing to Prepare for ICD-10 Challenge?,” presented by CureMD’s senior billing http://goo.gl/gpAsXLexpert Ken Edwards saw 1,500 attendees. In the 30-minute-webinar, which was followed by a Q&A session, the attendees were briefed on how to successfully prepare for the ICD-10 conversion.

Check Out Webinar Video: Here you can also view the slides:

Should a practice outsource billing to prepare for ICD-10 Challenge? from CureMD

Stop Fighting Denials! Know up to 98% of your rejections before submitting a claim

This is the second Webinar in our Road to ICD-10 series. 

When? Thursday, April 7th, 2015 | 1:00pm ET / 12pm CT / 10am PT

Let’s face it: medical billing is a complex field, period.

The industry is constantly changing with new payer rules, government regulations and the mother of all changes - The ICD-10 Transition. Keeping up to date with all of that while maintaining your practice’s bottom line is and will be a challenge.

With over 13,000 ICD-9 and 68,000 ICD-10 diagnosis codes, continuously updated CPT, HCPCS Level I and HCPCS Level II procedure codes and all of the possible (and impossible) combinations between them, it’s highly unlikely that practices will be able to manage on their own.

For Further Information Visit: http://goo.gl/l44Aja

Should a practice outsource billing to prepare for ICD-10? (Infographic)

Courtesy of: CureMD

For Further Read Visit : http://blog.curemd.com/outsource-billing-to-prepare-for-icd-10/

How the changes in ICD-10 have more to offer than ICD-9?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have set October 1, 2015 as the deadline for the implementation of a new and better International Classification of Diseases (ICD) set of codes, commonly referred to as ICD-10. What this will essentially do is, replace the existing 30-year-old codes commonly referred to as ICD-9 which practices are currently using. Why? Because the system has become obsolete, does not have room for expansion and is not in line with international standards of healthcare being followed by other countries.

The implementation of ICD-10 is a long and tedious process. The CMS has emphasized that the deadline is October 1, 2015. On average, small-to-medium practices will require approximately eight to ten months if they are going to implement this new system. It will require extensive training of support staff in the classification of new rules and the way diseases are also classified. What happens when the ICD-10 deadline expires? Well, the CMS promises to implement heavy fines and penalties on those practices which do not adhere to the new rules.

For Further Read Visit: http://blog.curemd.com/how-the-changes-in-icd-10-have-more-to-offer-than-icd-9/

How ICD-10 will affect your practice?

The new system of disease classification, known as ICD-10, is the biggest change coming to the healthcare industry. It is going to replace the current, ICD-9 codes and will roughly add 40,000 new codes to the system. Practices, hospitals, healthcare centers will have to get used to this system not only for their daily workflow, but also for their billing and revenue cycle management.

While big hospitals and healthcare centers have already started demoing the system, smaller practices are still lacking behind. Patient information, patient notes, e-Prescribing, e-Labs, Patient Portals, medical summaries, claims processing, insurances and eligibility checks are some of the areas that will be affected by the implementation of ICD-10 codes, which come into effect October 1, 2014.

For Further Read, Visit: http://blog.curemd.com/how-icd-10-will-affect-your-practice/

ICD-10: Get your practice ready for the biggest change

The biggest change to the healthcare industry, ICD-10, will come into effect on October 1, 2014 to replace the old ICD -9 system of diagnostic coding. It will also increase the number of diagnostic codes from the current 14,000 to 68,000, signaling a fivefold increase. ICD-10 will enable physicians to track and trend diseases better, code accurately, support future technology, support new payment models, improve utilization and manage quality.

In addition, business-process analysis of health plans, coverage limits, documentation, changes in superbills, system changes, cash flow disruption, staff education and increase in documentation costs will also add to the complexity that ICD-10 will bring to providers.

To further read, visit http://blog.curemd.com/icd-10-get-your-practice-ready-for-the-biggest-change/