Last year, the much debated ICD-9 to ICD-10 conversion deadline was delayed another year and set to October 1, 2015. However, numerous provider groups and stakeholders have been pushing for another delay, which would be the third in total, stating that the conversion will result in unmanageable financial pressure on the already challenged practices.
This article summarizes how ICD-10 differs from ICD-9, what the Congress had to say about the deadline, and in what way must you prepare for the conversion.
The new codes
The first question that most providers have is about the specific changes in the code sets. Here’s a summary:
* 68,000 diagnosis codes as opposed to just 13,000 in ICD-9
* A maximum 7 alphanumeric characters per code as opposed to 3-5 in ICD-9
* Very specific, more complex, and more flexible codes
* Lateral codes as well (different codes for right and left)
* 87,000 procedure codes as opposed to 3,000 in ICD-9
* 7 alphanumeric procedure code characters in contrast to 3-4 numbers in ICD-9
* With detailed methodology descriptions, procedure approach mechanisms, more detail, and flexibility
The Meeting
Last week, the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held a public forum to discuss the ICD-10 deadline. The meeting panel comprised of experts and stakeholders from across the industry, and included doctors and EHR vendors.
The Response
Despite opposition from a few stakeholders who held the view that small practices wouldn’t be able to manage the new codes, the majority voted in support of the October 1 deadline.
The way forward
The response by the congress via the meeting is clearly tilted towards ensuring that the deadline holds. If you were anticipating a delay, and haven’t yet started working on the conversion; you can still manage. Here’s how:
- Contact your EMR and Practice Management vendor and enquire your system’s readiness for the conversion. Ensure that their software possesses the necessary updates and ICD-9 to ICD-10 conversion mapping tools to make certain that your system is ready for, and will facilitate the conversion.
- In the case that your vendor is not ready, immediately begin looking for a new system. This is because from October 1, your claims will not be processed on ICD-9 codes.
- Delegate an ICD-10 expert (from you staff, or hire a professional) to train your staff, and to devise and execute plan for the conversion in line with your practice workflows.
- Consider Outsourcing Medical Billing if your ICD-10 expert (and yourself) feel that your current staff will not be able to manage claims processing on the new code set.
- Get in touch with payers and clearinghouses to determine their readiness.
The target for completing these steps (apart from staff training which could be ongoing) should ideally be March 15.
- Next, you must begin internal testing of the new codes between March and April, to check how well your staff will manage the new codes. Ideally you should be done by this till the end of June at maximum; and make the necessary workflow adjustments to fix errors in which the process proceeds.
- After internal testing in June, you need to begin external testing with clearinghouses and payers to determine how well your test claims (with ICD-10 codes) will do once out of your practice.
It is imperative to identify and correct any slow or disruptive processes in every stage of your conversion process. Doing so will enhance the efficiency of your practice, and help make certain that you are ready and equipped for the ICD-9 to ICD-10 conversion by October 1.
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