Even when you consider the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Medical Group Management Association - American College of Medical Practice Executives (MGMA-ACMPE) reacted to the Oct. 1, 2014, ICD-10 deadline, there wasn't a lot of drama.
Not that I'm complaining. I'm trying to avoid hitting the panic button on a weekly basis. I find it a bit hypocritical to write about an impending codapocalypse one day and tsk-tsk physicians who use words such as "burdensome" and "excessive." Wonder why they think ICD-10 implementation will be so bad.
Like the AMA, I'm trying to be constructive. So I appreciate Ray Desrochers, executive vice president of sales and marketing at HealthEdge, telling me that evoking a bit of panic into ICD-10 coverage is constructive. He says healthcare payers, vendors and providers need to understand ICD-10 implementation is much more challenging than originally thought.
But there is a limit to the drama needed. Vendors should be able to step up and relieve the burden, Desrochers says. That's what healthcare providers and payers are paying them to do. And it helps to accept that there will be change.
It seems that healthcare payers have accepted this change long ago. Desrochers tells Margaret Dick Tocknell at HealthLeaders Media that healthcare payers are ready for the ICD-10 deadline. To be fair, many major hospitals and providers seem to be just as prepared. They even were against delaying implementation until 2014.
I'm not declaring an end to drama. There's a lot of resentment against any kind of healthcare regulation. And next year readiness surveys are going to be sounding alarms that not enough organizations are ready.
Just how ready is the healthcare industry to comply with the Oct. 1, 2014, ICD-10 compliance deadline?
Before I explain share some constructive content on ICD-10 implementation, I'm going to ask to participate in an unscientific poll. Just trying to gauge the level of drama we're working with. (ICD10 Watch)
Medscape Modules Available on ICD-10
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) is sharing two videos and an article through Medscape Education that offer practical guidance for the ICD-10 transition. The videos are geared mostly toward physicians who need to know the differences between ICD-9 codes and ICD-10 codes, how ICD-10 will affect different sizes of practices, basic transition steps and resources. The videos feature Daniel J. Duvall, MD, MBA, medical officer with the Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group at CMS:
Joseph Nichols, MD, of Health Data Consulting wrote the article the article Transition to ICD-10: Getting Started that covers documentation improvements, the coder-clinician relationship, training, working with vendors and payers, search tools, and resources.
These modules also are worth continuing medical education credits. (CMS)
ICD-10 Readiness: Are vendors going to be a problem?
Nuesoft Technologies is getting a lot of attention with a survey that says 73 percent of respondents are worried that ICD-10 will significantly impact their practices. Let's call that concern, not drama. I focused on the concern that vendors may not be ready. That's constructive because right now, healthcare organizations can do something about that. Such as develop meaningful conversations about timetables and develop contingency plans. (ICD10 Watch)
ICD-10 reaction from my favorite busy physician
Rhonda Butler has some advice for physicians stressed out over the impending codapocalypse. She wants everyone to take the time to see exactly what they will need to do to work with ICD-10 codes. (PhysBizTech)
ICD-10: Time to get Serious
Gary Baldwin writes an incredibly comprehensive article on what it means to be ready for the Oct. 1, 2014, deadline. (Health Data Management)
Why physicians shouldn't worry about the specificity of ICD-10 coding
Why it's a bit over dramatic to worry about the "explosion" of diagnosis codes that physicians will encounter. (ICD10 Watch)
ICD-10 codes and its Impact on Denial Management
A quick look at how claim denial management will change with ICD-10 coding. (vegtaste)
Shortage of Qualified Staff Predicted: Will You Have the Right Medical Coding and Billing Staff for ICD-10?
Here are four ways to help make sure you have qualified medical coders on staff after Oct. 1, 2014:
- Develop a training plan
- Implement and evaluate your training plan
- Raise your hiring requirements
- Consider outside help
Carl Natale blogs regularly at ICD10Watch.com.