A Georgia-based healthcare system is looking to two well-known healthcare IT companies to help improve its processing of medical claims and prepare for the conversion from ICD-9 codes sets to ICD-10.
The Gwinnet Health System, a Lawrenceville-based network of two acute care facilities, an inpatient rehabilitation center and a skilled nursing facility, will use the coding solution created by Ingenix and A-Life Medical to, officials say, improve claim coding accuracy, increase staff productivity, control administrative costs and position the system to transition to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) by the Oct. 1, 2013 deadline mandated for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Ingenix, the health information, technology and consulting services arm of the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group, has integrated its Web.Strat encoding tool with the Actus computer-assisted coding solution from San Diego-based A-Life Medical, with which Ingenix announced a partnership in late 2009. The solution features Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology created by A-Life Hospital, a wholly owned subsidiary of A-Life Medical.
"The solution from Ingenix and A-Life Medical will enable us to manage our growing volume of medical claims much more efficiently," said Carol Fowler, Gwinnett Health System director of health information management. "In addition to helping us resolve serious business and resource challenges, these technologies will be an integral foundation for impending regulatory and performance management initiatives."
"Gwinnett Health System is a model for using advanced technology to address issues of cost and compliance," added Ron Jones, senior vice president of hospital solutions at Ingenix. "Ingenix provides comprehensive solutions to our clients' business challenges. By working with A-Life Medical, we're helping hospitals and health systems increase staff productivity, manage their financial health and support their transition to ICD-10."
"As hospital coding requirements become more complex, Ingenix and A-Life Medical have the necessary tools and services to ensure hospitals can meet new requirements," said Jaye Connolly, president at A-Life Medical.