The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced they will allow for flexibility in the claims auditing and quality reporting process, as the medical community gains experience using the new ICD-10 code set starting Oct. 1, 2015. The American Medical Association (AMA) had been calling for measures to mitigate the impact of the ICD-10 transition by implementing a transition period. During this ‘grace period’ physicians would not be penalized for coding errors and system malfunctions.
With CMS’ willingness to be flexible in the transition, CMS and AMA now are working together to make sure physicians and other providers are ready by educating providers through webinars, on-site training, educational articles, and national provider calls.
Free help from CMS includes the “Road to 10,” aimed specifically at smaller physician practices with primers for clinical documentation, clinical scenarios, and other specialty-specific resources to help with implementation. CMS has also released provider training videos that offer helpful ICD-10 implementation tips. See the ICD-10 website for more information.
The AMA also has a broad range of materials available to help physicians prepare for the Oct. 1 deadline. To learn more and stay apprised on developments, visit AMA Wire.
Here is more information on CMS’ ICD-10 resources as well as FAQs. And don’t forget CMS’ National Provider call, “Countdown to ICD-10” on Thursday, August 27, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. To Register: Visit MLN Connects Event Registration. Space may be limited, register early.
Palmetto GBA will host Part B Ask the Contractor Teleconference: ICD-10 – Are You Ready? on Aug. 13, 2015, from 10 to 11 a.m. This call is intended for Part B providers and their billing staff billing for services rendered in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. This ACT call will focus on helping providers prepare for the implementation of mandatory use of ICD-10 codes on October 1, 2015. This call will not teach providers how to code using ICD-10.
The Physicians Foundation is promoting a free resource designed to help your practice make the transition. ICD10Charts.com  was developed by a medical student who saw the need for such a resource while working in his father’s medical practice.
ICD-10 Charts is a collection of innovative ICD-10 training resources that can help streamline your entire ICD-10 implementation process and save your practice a considerable amount of time and money during this transition. Desai has refined the software even more recently, making ICD-10Charts a most valuable tool to help you prepare. Watch a short informational video detailing how the site works.
In North Carolina, the Industrial Commission just posted their ICD-10 guidance as it relates to workers’ compensation claims:
“Beginning October 1, 2015, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-26(g1) and in alignment with federal regulations, the applicable administrative standard for diagnosis code sets for medical billing and reporting in North Carolina workers’ compensation cases will transition to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, Clinical Modification and Procedure Coding System (ICD-10), from the 9th Edition (ICD-9).”
Read the full notice.
NCTracks continues to offer assistance to Medicaid providers in preparation for the transition to ICD-10. Here are some of their recent posts: