SATIRE
ICD-10 to Include Code for "Dr.Oz says", Automatic Trigger for Level 5 Visit | GomerBlog
by Doktor Schnabel - Nov 20, 2014
The ICD-10 has recently added a last minute section to include codes for an epidemic that has been creeping into US medical offices over the past several years. Dr. Oz’s quackery is starting to have a big impact upon our poor primary care doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses out on the front line.
Dr. Oz testifying“I just can’t take this anymore,” proclaimed Dr. Samantha Jenkins, a family medicine physician in New Jersey. “If I hear ‘Dr. Oz says’ one more time, I just might close up shop here! ”
Dr. Jenkins isn’t alone in her reaction and the World Health Organization (WHO) has listened to tens of thousands of complaining health care providers.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
11/21/14
AHIMA Releases ICD-10 Resource for Physicians #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
AHIMA Releases ICD-10 Resource for Physicians | Journal of AHIMA
Nov 20, 2014 08:06 am
posted by Mary Butler
The American Health Information Management Association has released an online ICD-10-CM/PCS resource aimed at alleviating physician concerns about implementing the new code set. As AHIMA notes, a significant number of myths about ICD-10 persist. This document, which tackles the most common myths is called, “Setting the Facts Straight About ICD-10: What Physicians Need to Know About the Transition.”
Training and Documentation Time
A sentiment frequently expressed by physicians about ICD-10 is the number of new codes and the documentation required by doctors to code an encounter. The burden of extra time spent on documentation, physicians argue, can get in the way of diagnosis and treatment.
To address this concern, AHIMA advises physician practices to “complete a documentation assessment to determine how their current documentation will support coding in ICD-10-CM. This activity can be completed now using existing patient records by taking a current chart, coding it in ICD-10-CM, and determining if there is enough information in the record to capture the necessary concepts for ICD-10-CM.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Nov 20, 2014 08:06 am
posted by Mary Butler
The American Health Information Management Association has released an online ICD-10-CM/PCS resource aimed at alleviating physician concerns about implementing the new code set. As AHIMA notes, a significant number of myths about ICD-10 persist. This document, which tackles the most common myths is called, “Setting the Facts Straight About ICD-10: What Physicians Need to Know About the Transition.”
Training and Documentation Time
A sentiment frequently expressed by physicians about ICD-10 is the number of new codes and the documentation required by doctors to code an encounter. The burden of extra time spent on documentation, physicians argue, can get in the way of diagnosis and treatment.
To address this concern, AHIMA advises physician practices to “complete a documentation assessment to determine how their current documentation will support coding in ICD-10-CM. This activity can be completed now using existing patient records by taking a current chart, coding it in ICD-10-CM, and determining if there is enough information in the record to capture the necessary concepts for ICD-10-CM.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Axxess CE Series, Prepare HHA Clinicians for OASIS-C1 #ICD10 #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
DALLAS: Axxess Announces Continuing Education Series to Help Prepare Home Health Agency Clinicians for OASIS-C1 | Business Wire | Rock Hill Herald Online
OASIS-C1 and ASAP System Implementations Take Effect January 1
November 20, 2014
DALLAS — Axxess, an industry leader in home health management software and the only software vendor accredited by the American Nursing Credentialing Center, announces a series of web-based and in-person training sessions to help home health agencies transition to the new Outcome and Assessment Information Set (version OASIS-C1) and new national OASIS Assessment Submission and Processing (ASAP) system for Medicare claims, effective January 1, 2015.
Earlier this year, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 postponed the adoption of ICD-10 until at least October 1, 2015. In response to this legislative delay, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made changes to the new OASIS-C1 data set which contained questions that accommodated the new, expanded ICD-10 codes. CMS is also requiring that agencies transition from state OASIS systems to the national OASIS Assessment Submission and Processing (ASAP) system. Both remain effective on January 1, 2015.
“These new requirements profoundly impact home health agency owners and their staff,” said John Olajide, CEO of Axxess. “To help ensure a smooth operational transition and reduce the risk of penalties associated with noncompliance, Axxess is offering practical, authoritative education as well as comprehensive, integrated software solutions.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
OASIS-C1 and ASAP System Implementations Take Effect January 1
November 20, 2014
DALLAS — Axxess, an industry leader in home health management software and the only software vendor accredited by the American Nursing Credentialing Center, announces a series of web-based and in-person training sessions to help home health agencies transition to the new Outcome and Assessment Information Set (version OASIS-C1) and new national OASIS Assessment Submission and Processing (ASAP) system for Medicare claims, effective January 1, 2015.
Earlier this year, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 postponed the adoption of ICD-10 until at least October 1, 2015. In response to this legislative delay, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made changes to the new OASIS-C1 data set which contained questions that accommodated the new, expanded ICD-10 codes. CMS is also requiring that agencies transition from state OASIS systems to the national OASIS Assessment Submission and Processing (ASAP) system. Both remain effective on January 1, 2015.
“These new requirements profoundly impact home health agency owners and their staff,” said John Olajide, CEO of Axxess. “To help ensure a smooth operational transition and reduce the risk of penalties associated with noncompliance, Axxess is offering practical, authoritative education as well as comprehensive, integrated software solutions.”
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Free Webinar for ICD-10 Preparedness for Medical Offices #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
MedicalBillingSoftware.com Announces Free Webinar for ICD-10 Preparedness for Medical Offices - Press Release - Digital Journal
Medisoft Billing Program Provider To Offer ICD-10 Diagnosis Readiness Webinar Dec 3, 3pm EST
MedicalBillingSoftware.com founder Harry Selent today announced today an upcoming Free webinar to help small physician practices to prepare for the new ICD Diagnosis deadline set for Oct 2015. The Free Webinar is scheduled for Dec 3, 3pm EST.
“In this 90 minute Webinar and eBook to be presented to each attendee, participants will learn how to take meaningful, step by step actions, month by month, so that they will be ready for the Oct 2015 deadline and not be caught unprepared” says Selent.
Participants will be able to learn how to use their Medisoft Billing Program to help prepare them for the ICD-10 deadline, and how to implement the new diagnosis codes that all healthcare providers will have to adopt.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Medisoft Billing Program Provider To Offer ICD-10 Diagnosis Readiness Webinar Dec 3, 3pm EST
MedicalBillingSoftware.com founder Harry Selent today announced today an upcoming Free webinar to help small physician practices to prepare for the new ICD Diagnosis deadline set for Oct 2015. The Free Webinar is scheduled for Dec 3, 3pm EST.
“In this 90 minute Webinar and eBook to be presented to each attendee, participants will learn how to take meaningful, step by step actions, month by month, so that they will be ready for the Oct 2015 deadline and not be caught unprepared” says Selent.
Participants will be able to learn how to use their Medisoft Billing Program to help prepare them for the ICD-10 deadline, and how to implement the new diagnosis codes that all healthcare providers will have to adopt.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
11/20/14
Financially Overwhelmed Hospitals Ditching... #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Financially Overwhelmed Hospitals Ditching Fragmented, Niche RCM Solutions for Comprehensive, end-to-end Outsourcing Service Vendors, says Latest Black Book Poll
Responding to the demand for consolidated revenue cycle management outsourcing options, a sundry of small niche vendors, from eligibility experts to patient bill estimators, are seeking shelter under larger RCM organizations as reimbursement reforms and value-based models currently being carved out will make it more difficult for many marginalized RCM solutions to survive without joint ventures or acquisition. Black Book Market Research's annual Satisfaction Survey of all RCM stakeholders discovered that nearly half (45%) of the nation's struggling hospitals plan on diving deep into full RCM outsourcing
November 19, 2014 08:34 ET | Source: Black Book Market Research
NEW YORK, N.Y., Nov. 19, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The consolidation trend by end-to-end RCM outsourcing vendors is accelerating, triggering more insecurity for smaller, niche healthcare RCM solution providers. Larger, more complex RCM outsourcing vendors have filled service gaps in their offerings to meet the 20% growth demand by borderline troubled hospitals for fully integrated, end-to-end solutions, incorporating more ancillary aspects of the full revenue cycle.
"After carefully identifying and assessing their organizations' core competencies, hundreds of hospitals have moved to outsourced RCM services over the last two years," said Doug Brown, Managing Partner of Black Book Market Research LLC, and co-author of the bestseller, "The Black Book of Outsourcing" (Wiley Publishers). "It has been no surprise that many overwhelmed hospital leaders have realized that RCM isn't their organization's core competency, and have turned to large end-to-end outsourcing firms for RCM to refocus on patient care and clinical service delivery."
Black Book estimates the market potential of RCM outsourcing to be $7.7B, with projected growth to nearly $9.9B by mid-2016. Much of the market growth is attributed to the end-to-end service vendors.
Claims reimbursement processing costs will reportedly vary from $30 to $90 per transaction, and billing paperwork will cost providers a collective total of $252 Billion in 2014, according to Black Book projections.
"In the financial services industry, business process outsourcers have reduced banking and brokerage transaction costs to less than a penny in most cases," said Brown. "The healthcare industry also has the opportunity to leverage the economies of scale offered by RCM outsourcers, which successfully handle high volumes of encounters. RCM outsourcers also have the staff and technology expertise to integrate patient billing, collections, accounts receivables, and grievances as ICD-10, and value-based payment models present even more potential for internal inefficiencies... without capital investment for state of the art technology and staff.'
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Responding to the demand for consolidated revenue cycle management outsourcing options, a sundry of small niche vendors, from eligibility experts to patient bill estimators, are seeking shelter under larger RCM organizations as reimbursement reforms and value-based models currently being carved out will make it more difficult for many marginalized RCM solutions to survive without joint ventures or acquisition. Black Book Market Research's annual Satisfaction Survey of all RCM stakeholders discovered that nearly half (45%) of the nation's struggling hospitals plan on diving deep into full RCM outsourcing
November 19, 2014 08:34 ET | Source: Black Book Market Research
NEW YORK, N.Y., Nov. 19, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The consolidation trend by end-to-end RCM outsourcing vendors is accelerating, triggering more insecurity for smaller, niche healthcare RCM solution providers. Larger, more complex RCM outsourcing vendors have filled service gaps in their offerings to meet the 20% growth demand by borderline troubled hospitals for fully integrated, end-to-end solutions, incorporating more ancillary aspects of the full revenue cycle.
"After carefully identifying and assessing their organizations' core competencies, hundreds of hospitals have moved to outsourced RCM services over the last two years," said Doug Brown, Managing Partner of Black Book Market Research LLC, and co-author of the bestseller, "The Black Book of Outsourcing" (Wiley Publishers). "It has been no surprise that many overwhelmed hospital leaders have realized that RCM isn't their organization's core competency, and have turned to large end-to-end outsourcing firms for RCM to refocus on patient care and clinical service delivery."
Black Book estimates the market potential of RCM outsourcing to be $7.7B, with projected growth to nearly $9.9B by mid-2016. Much of the market growth is attributed to the end-to-end service vendors.
Claims reimbursement processing costs will reportedly vary from $30 to $90 per transaction, and billing paperwork will cost providers a collective total of $252 Billion in 2014, according to Black Book projections.
"In the financial services industry, business process outsourcers have reduced banking and brokerage transaction costs to less than a penny in most cases," said Brown. "The healthcare industry also has the opportunity to leverage the economies of scale offered by RCM outsourcers, which successfully handle high volumes of encounters. RCM outsourcers also have the staff and technology expertise to integrate patient billing, collections, accounts receivables, and grievances as ICD-10, and value-based payment models present even more potential for internal inefficiencies... without capital investment for state of the art technology and staff.'
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Here's why healthcare should be talking about net neutrality #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Here's why healthcare should be talking about net neutrality - Modern Healthcare
By Darius Tahir | November 19, 2014
The techie term “net neutrality” likely isn't in the daily lexicon of most senior healthcare executives. But it should be, and soon, argue those in healthcare technology who have been following the topic.
The wireless telecommunications industry's trade group, CTIA, for example, has been circulating a letter to healthcare organizations, asking their support to oppose regulation that would ensure continued net neutrality. But others argue healthcare benefits from net neutrality and should be lobbying for its continuance via a new Federal Communications Commission mandate.
Net neutrality means everyone sending data is treated the same by carriers like Verizon and others; no one can pay or be charged more for faster transmission speeds and none can be barred from sending data. The tool that net neutrality advocates want to use—Title II of the FCC's authorization act—would essentially make internet traffic into a public utility.
The FCC is expected to rule either by year-end or early next year.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
By Darius Tahir | November 19, 2014
The techie term “net neutrality” likely isn't in the daily lexicon of most senior healthcare executives. But it should be, and soon, argue those in healthcare technology who have been following the topic.
The wireless telecommunications industry's trade group, CTIA, for example, has been circulating a letter to healthcare organizations, asking their support to oppose regulation that would ensure continued net neutrality. But others argue healthcare benefits from net neutrality and should be lobbying for its continuance via a new Federal Communications Commission mandate.
Net neutrality means everyone sending data is treated the same by carriers like Verizon and others; no one can pay or be charged more for faster transmission speeds and none can be barred from sending data. The tool that net neutrality advocates want to use—Title II of the FCC's authorization act—would essentially make internet traffic into a public utility.
The FCC is expected to rule either by year-end or early next year.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Study Says, ICD-10 Transition in Not as Costly as Suggested #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Study Says, ICD-10 Transition in Not as Costly as Suggested
19 Nov 2014
According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Health Information Management Association, the cost of converting small physician offices to ICD-10 is much lower than previously reported. In the journal, Thomas Kravis et al writes that the “the initial estimates of the costs and effort associated with ICD-10 implementation for Physician offices has been overestimated and that vendors, health plans and physicians have made considerable progress with fewer re-sources than had been previously estimated”
The recent report suggests that the estimated costs for small physician practices to transition to ICD-10 would fall between $1,960 and $5,900, which is a fraction of the estimate reported by Nachimson Advisors to the AMA ranging from $22,560 to $105,506. The main reason behind this reported lower cost is because the costs related to EHR adoption and other healthcare initiatives, like meaningful use are not directly related to the ICD-10 conversion although these costs were sometimes included in ICD-10 conversion cost estimates. According to the study published, the coding industry is much more prepared for ICD-10 now than ever.
Thomas Kravis and his team divided the ICD-10 implementation cost into five categories:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
19 Nov 2014
According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Health Information Management Association, the cost of converting small physician offices to ICD-10 is much lower than previously reported. In the journal, Thomas Kravis et al writes that the “the initial estimates of the costs and effort associated with ICD-10 implementation for Physician offices has been overestimated and that vendors, health plans and physicians have made considerable progress with fewer re-sources than had been previously estimated”
The recent report suggests that the estimated costs for small physician practices to transition to ICD-10 would fall between $1,960 and $5,900, which is a fraction of the estimate reported by Nachimson Advisors to the AMA ranging from $22,560 to $105,506. The main reason behind this reported lower cost is because the costs related to EHR adoption and other healthcare initiatives, like meaningful use are not directly related to the ICD-10 conversion although these costs were sometimes included in ICD-10 conversion cost estimates. According to the study published, the coding industry is much more prepared for ICD-10 now than ever.
Thomas Kravis and his team divided the ICD-10 implementation cost into five categories:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 Coding System, ICD-10, ICD-10 Codes #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ICD-10 Coding System, ICD-10, ICD-10 Codes | The Medical Bag
November 19, 2014
Changes in how medical diagnoses are coded under the latest international disease classification system (better known as the ICD-10 codes) may complicate the assessment of hospital safety, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Their report is available online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA).
Codes for diagnoses that serve as patient safety indicators may not translate in a simple way from ICD-9 to ICD-10, says Andrew Boyd, assistant professor of biomedical and health information sciences at UIC and first author of the paper.
For example, a hemorrhage coded in ICD-9 may have any of several different codes in ICD-10 depending on which organ system is involved, making it difficult to tell whether a hospital’s safety record is improving, or if information is simply slipping through the cracks.
"It's possible to select 'accurate' new ICD-10 codes that make you look safer than you are because of the differences in the design of the ICD-10 system,” Boyd said. At the same time, he said, some hospitals may look less safe than they really are because of apparent increases in patient safety indicators that are actually the same indicators calculated differently.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
November 19, 2014
Changes in how medical diagnoses are coded under the latest international disease classification system (better known as the ICD-10 codes) may complicate the assessment of hospital safety, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Their report is available online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA).
Codes for diagnoses that serve as patient safety indicators may not translate in a simple way from ICD-9 to ICD-10, says Andrew Boyd, assistant professor of biomedical and health information sciences at UIC and first author of the paper.
For example, a hemorrhage coded in ICD-9 may have any of several different codes in ICD-10 depending on which organ system is involved, making it difficult to tell whether a hospital’s safety record is improving, or if information is simply slipping through the cracks.
"It's possible to select 'accurate' new ICD-10 codes that make you look safer than you are because of the differences in the design of the ICD-10 system,” Boyd said. At the same time, he said, some hospitals may look less safe than they really are because of apparent increases in patient safety indicators that are actually the same indicators calculated differently.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Why your ICD-10 budget needs a checkup #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Why your ICD-10 budget needs a checkup | ICD10 Watch
Posted on Wed, Nov 19, 2014 - 08:00 am
Last week we found out that the ICD-10 transition may not be as expensive for medical practices as previously estimated. How does that happen?
First, consider the previous estimates are based upon the 2013 Nachisom Advisors study of ICD-10 transition costs. This gave a range for small medical practices from $56,639 to $226,105. If that's not enough to scare a physician into vigorous opposition, I don't know what else is.
To calm those fears, Thomas C. Kravis, M.D., Susan Belley, M. Ed., RHIA, Donna M. Smith, RHIA, and Richard F. Averill, M.S., counter that study with their own ICD-10 transition cost estimates in the Journal of AHIMA — which says the Nachimson study uses inpatient hospital activities to base costs.
The JOA study puts the ICD-10 price tag in a range from $1,960 to $5,900 for small medical practices.
Who are we to believe?
Neither. This is something that medical practice managers need to figure out for themselves.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Posted on Wed, Nov 19, 2014 - 08:00 am
Last week we found out that the ICD-10 transition may not be as expensive for medical practices as previously estimated. How does that happen?
First, consider the previous estimates are based upon the 2013 Nachisom Advisors study of ICD-10 transition costs. This gave a range for small medical practices from $56,639 to $226,105. If that's not enough to scare a physician into vigorous opposition, I don't know what else is.
To calm those fears, Thomas C. Kravis, M.D., Susan Belley, M. Ed., RHIA, Donna M. Smith, RHIA, and Richard F. Averill, M.S., counter that study with their own ICD-10 transition cost estimates in the Journal of AHIMA — which says the Nachimson study uses inpatient hospital activities to base costs.
The JOA study puts the ICD-10 price tag in a range from $1,960 to $5,900 for small medical practices.
Who are we to believe?
Neither. This is something that medical practice managers need to figure out for themselves.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 Conversion Costs For Smaller Practices Less Than Anticipated #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ICD-10 Conversion Costs For Smaller Practices Less Than Anticipated
By Christine Kern
Current evidence shows initial ICD-10 conversion estimates were exaggerated and efficient progress is now being made.
The ICD-10 data controversy continues as new research suggests the initial estimates of the financial and labor costs associated with the ICD-10 transition in physician offices has been exaggerated, according to research published by the Journal of AHIMA. The data also reveals considerable progress has already been accomplished by physicians, vendors, and health plans on ICD-10 implementation with fewer resources than previously estimated.
The article estimates ICD-10 conversion for a small practice costs between $1,900 and $5,900 – a stark contrast to the range posited by a 2014 update of a widely referenced 2008 report by Nachimson Advisors to the American Medical Association (AMA), according to Healthcare Informatics.
“There are a number of reasons why the cost estimates reported in this article are lower,” the study authors explain. “The costs related to EHR adoption and other healthcare initiatives, like meaningful use are not directly related to the ICD-10 conversion although these costs were sometimes included in ICD-10 conversion cost estimates. The coding industry is much more knowledgeable and ready for ICD-10 now than previously reported. Furthermore, the activities necessary to be ready for ICD-10 have become available at very low cost.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
By Christine Kern
Current evidence shows initial ICD-10 conversion estimates were exaggerated and efficient progress is now being made.
The ICD-10 data controversy continues as new research suggests the initial estimates of the financial and labor costs associated with the ICD-10 transition in physician offices has been exaggerated, according to research published by the Journal of AHIMA. The data also reveals considerable progress has already been accomplished by physicians, vendors, and health plans on ICD-10 implementation with fewer resources than previously estimated.
The article estimates ICD-10 conversion for a small practice costs between $1,900 and $5,900 – a stark contrast to the range posited by a 2014 update of a widely referenced 2008 report by Nachimson Advisors to the American Medical Association (AMA), according to Healthcare Informatics.
“There are a number of reasons why the cost estimates reported in this article are lower,” the study authors explain. “The costs related to EHR adoption and other healthcare initiatives, like meaningful use are not directly related to the ICD-10 conversion although these costs were sometimes included in ICD-10 conversion cost estimates. The coding industry is much more knowledgeable and ready for ICD-10 now than previously reported. Furthermore, the activities necessary to be ready for ICD-10 have become available at very low cost.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Health groups urge Congress to keep next year's ICD-10 deadline #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Health groups urge Congress to keep next year's ICD-10 deadline | Healthcare Dive
By Anne Zieger | November 20, 2014
Dive Brief:
A group of healthcare organizations has sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to make sure there are no further delays to ICD-10 implementation.
The letter came from a group of 15 health-related organizations, including the American Health Information Management Association, America's Health Insurance Plans and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. The letter noted that HHS itself is predicting that further delays could cost the industry as much as $6.6 billion.
As things stand, providers and payers must complete the ICD-9 to ICD-10 transition by October 1, 2015, moving the cutoff back by one year. While the decision pleased some healthcare organizations, others—notably hospitals—said they had been prepared for the earlier deadline and wished it had stayed in place.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
By Anne Zieger | November 20, 2014
Dive Brief:
A group of healthcare organizations has sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to make sure there are no further delays to ICD-10 implementation.
The letter came from a group of 15 health-related organizations, including the American Health Information Management Association, America's Health Insurance Plans and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. The letter noted that HHS itself is predicting that further delays could cost the industry as much as $6.6 billion.
As things stand, providers and payers must complete the ICD-9 to ICD-10 transition by October 1, 2015, moving the cutoff back by one year. While the decision pleased some healthcare organizations, others—notably hospitals—said they had been prepared for the earlier deadline and wished it had stayed in place.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10: Maybe not the crisis hospitals anticipated? #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ICD-10: Maybe not the crisis hospitals anticipated? | Healthcare Dive
By Anne Zieger | November 19, 2014
For the past few years, providers have been shaking in their boots at the prospect of meeting the upcoming ICD-9 to ICD-10 conversion deadline. It is, after all, a pretty sizable project, demanding that providers and insurers switch out about 14,000 codes for about 69,000 codes. Not surprisingly, there was much celebration among concerned providers in April when President Obama signed legislation pushing back the ICD-10 compliance deadline date until at least 2015.
The American Medical Association, in fact, kept pushing HHS to repeal the ICD-10 mandate. At that time, the AMA was describing the ICD-10 switchover as a "massive unfunded mandate" which, according to Nachimson Associates, would cost small practices anywhere from $56,639 to $226,105 to complete.
This week, however, a new study came out which suggests that the AMA's cost estimates for the transition were greatly exaggerated. The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Health Information Management Association, found that ICD-10 transition costs are likely to be between $1,960 and $5,900.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
By Anne Zieger | November 19, 2014
For the past few years, providers have been shaking in their boots at the prospect of meeting the upcoming ICD-9 to ICD-10 conversion deadline. It is, after all, a pretty sizable project, demanding that providers and insurers switch out about 14,000 codes for about 69,000 codes. Not surprisingly, there was much celebration among concerned providers in April when President Obama signed legislation pushing back the ICD-10 compliance deadline date until at least 2015.
The American Medical Association, in fact, kept pushing HHS to repeal the ICD-10 mandate. At that time, the AMA was describing the ICD-10 switchover as a "massive unfunded mandate" which, according to Nachimson Associates, would cost small practices anywhere from $56,639 to $226,105 to complete.
This week, however, a new study came out which suggests that the AMA's cost estimates for the transition were greatly exaggerated. The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Health Information Management Association, found that ICD-10 transition costs are likely to be between $1,960 and $5,900.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 Coalition Urges Congress To Keep Oct. 1, 2015 #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ICD-10 Coalition Urges Congress To Keep Oct. 1, 2015, Transition Date - iHealthBeat
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Last week, a coalition of health care groups sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging them to ensure that ICD-10 implementation is not delayed again, Clinical Innovation & Technology reports.
Background
U.S. health care organizations are working to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets to accommodate codes for new diseases and procedures.
In April, President Obama signed into law legislation (HR 4302) that pushed back the ICD-10 compliance date until at least October 2015.
In July, CMS announced a final rule that established Oct. 1, 2015, as the new ICD-10 compliance deadline for payers and providers still making the transition
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Last week, a coalition of health care groups sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging them to ensure that ICD-10 implementation is not delayed again, Clinical Innovation & Technology reports.
Background
U.S. health care organizations are working to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets to accommodate codes for new diseases and procedures.
In April, President Obama signed into law legislation (HR 4302) that pushed back the ICD-10 compliance date until at least October 2015.
In July, CMS announced a final rule that established Oct. 1, 2015, as the new ICD-10 compliance deadline for payers and providers still making the transition
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Ten ICD-10 Codes to be Thankful For #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Ten ICD-10 Codes to be Thankful For
November 19, 2014
ICD-10 has been the focus for many private practices for much of the year and while many practices see the change as a huge turkey, the new coding system will actually allow physicians to be more specific with their diagnosis, which provides valuable medical details.
ICD-10 codes will actually allow doctors to create more accurate electronic health records and increase the amount of time physicians spend engaging with their patients instead of collecting information left out of the ICD-9 codes. In turn, the patient will have a more detailed electronic health record.
During this holiday season, we are thankful to all physician practices for being able to take on the challenges and providing high quality care to all of us. In the spirit of the season, here are some ICD-10 codes that might provide some holiday cheer and come in handy over this Thanksgiving Holiday:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
November 19, 2014
ICD-10 has been the focus for many private practices for much of the year and while many practices see the change as a huge turkey, the new coding system will actually allow physicians to be more specific with their diagnosis, which provides valuable medical details.
ICD-10 codes will actually allow doctors to create more accurate electronic health records and increase the amount of time physicians spend engaging with their patients instead of collecting information left out of the ICD-9 codes. In turn, the patient will have a more detailed electronic health record.
During this holiday season, we are thankful to all physician practices for being able to take on the challenges and providing high quality care to all of us. In the spirit of the season, here are some ICD-10 codes that might provide some holiday cheer and come in handy over this Thanksgiving Holiday:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
11/19/14
ICD-10 Coalition Urges Congress To Keep Transition Date #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ICD-10 Coalition Urges Congress To Keep Oct. 1, 2015, Transition Date - iHealthBeat
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Last week, a coalition of health care groups sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging them to ensure that ICD-10 implementation is not delayed again, Clinical Innovation & Technology reports (Walsh, Clinical Innovation & Technology, 11/18).
Background
U.S. health care organizations are working to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets to accommodate codes for new diseases and procedures.
In April, President Obama signed into law legislation (HR 4302) that pushed back the ICD-10 compliance date until at least October 2015.
In July, CMS announced a final rule that established Oct. 1, 2015, as the new ICD-10 compliance deadline for payers and providers still making the transition (iHealthBeat, 11/14).
Letter Details
The letter was written by a group of 15 organizations, which referred to themselves as the Coalition for ICD-10. The groups included:
The American Health Information Management Association;
America's Health Insurance Plans;
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives; and
The Healthcare Financial Management Association (Clinical Innovation & Technology, 11/18).
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Last week, a coalition of health care groups sent a letter to House and Senate leaders urging them to ensure that ICD-10 implementation is not delayed again, Clinical Innovation & Technology reports (Walsh, Clinical Innovation & Technology, 11/18).
Background
U.S. health care organizations are working to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets to accommodate codes for new diseases and procedures.
In April, President Obama signed into law legislation (HR 4302) that pushed back the ICD-10 compliance date until at least October 2015.
In July, CMS announced a final rule that established Oct. 1, 2015, as the new ICD-10 compliance deadline for payers and providers still making the transition (iHealthBeat, 11/14).
Letter Details
The letter was written by a group of 15 organizations, which referred to themselves as the Coalition for ICD-10. The groups included:
The American Health Information Management Association;
America's Health Insurance Plans;
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives; and
The Healthcare Financial Management Association (Clinical Innovation & Technology, 11/18).
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
New Jobs Emerge as Healthcare Industry Transforms #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
New Jobs Emerge as Healthcare Industry Transforms
Survey shows ACA, Aging Population and Other Factors Driving New Workforce Roles
November 18, 2014: 01:12 PM ET
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New clinical and leadership jobs that didn't exist a decade ago are emerging from the transformation of our national healthcare system, according to the results of a just-released survey.
The survey, Emerging Roles in Healthcare 2014, polled more than 300 clinical and human resources leaders nationwide about trends in hiring and training for new and emerging healthcare positions. Many of the new positions are arising in response to new regulatory incentives and mandates from the Affordable Care Act, particularly for transitioning from volume- to value-based care. Other factors such as controlling costs and providing care for an aging population also were cited in the survey from the Center for Professional Advancement at AMN Healthcare (NYSE: AHS), the leading innovator in healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services.
Among survey respondents, 86 percent said they recognized the growing need for new types of healthcare positions, but relatively low percentages, in many cases, said they are actively preparing for this need.
"Both the data and the comments gathered by the survey show that healthcare leaders understand the importance of these emerging roles in the new healthcare environment," said Marcia Faller, RN, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer at AMN Healthcare. "But not that many healthcare enterprises are actively recruiting or training for these jobs, especially when it comes to new strategic leadership roles."
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Survey shows ACA, Aging Population and Other Factors Driving New Workforce Roles
November 18, 2014: 01:12 PM ET
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New clinical and leadership jobs that didn't exist a decade ago are emerging from the transformation of our national healthcare system, according to the results of a just-released survey.
The survey, Emerging Roles in Healthcare 2014, polled more than 300 clinical and human resources leaders nationwide about trends in hiring and training for new and emerging healthcare positions. Many of the new positions are arising in response to new regulatory incentives and mandates from the Affordable Care Act, particularly for transitioning from volume- to value-based care. Other factors such as controlling costs and providing care for an aging population also were cited in the survey from the Center for Professional Advancement at AMN Healthcare (NYSE: AHS), the leading innovator in healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services.
Among survey respondents, 86 percent said they recognized the growing need for new types of healthcare positions, but relatively low percentages, in many cases, said they are actively preparing for this need.
"Both the data and the comments gathered by the survey show that healthcare leaders understand the importance of these emerging roles in the new healthcare environment," said Marcia Faller, RN, PhD, Chief Clinical Officer at AMN Healthcare. "But not that many healthcare enterprises are actively recruiting or training for these jobs, especially when it comes to new strategic leadership roles."
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Why Prov Shd Think About the Impact of ICD-10 on MC Reimb Now #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Why Providers Should Think About the Impact of ICD-10 on Managed Care Reimbursement Now | Epstein Becker Green - JDSupra
11/18/2014
by Bethany HillsBethany Hills, Jackie SelbyJackie Selby
ICD-10 implementation has been delayed by Medicare until October 2015. Many believe it may be delayed again and are putting off thinking about its impact until it is clear that the updated code set will be implemented by Medicare. However, providers need to appreciate that many of the managed care agreements that they are signing today likely include binding language that will impact reimbursement changes resulting from ICD-10 implementation, particularly for inpatient services.[1] Proactively thinking through such provisions, and their implications, now may avoid heartache later (even if ICD-10 were to be delayed again).
Many commentators have focused on the coding details of the ICD-10 transition and the language and coding specificity that will be required. What may be overlooked in these coding discussions is that the updated code set will not only allow, but will likely require, changes in the way that plans reimburse for certain services and coverage is determined.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
11/18/2014
by Bethany HillsBethany Hills, Jackie SelbyJackie Selby
ICD-10 implementation has been delayed by Medicare until October 2015. Many believe it may be delayed again and are putting off thinking about its impact until it is clear that the updated code set will be implemented by Medicare. However, providers need to appreciate that many of the managed care agreements that they are signing today likely include binding language that will impact reimbursement changes resulting from ICD-10 implementation, particularly for inpatient services.[1] Proactively thinking through such provisions, and their implications, now may avoid heartache later (even if ICD-10 were to be delayed again).
Many commentators have focused on the coding details of the ICD-10 transition and the language and coding specificity that will be required. What may be overlooked in these coding discussions is that the updated code set will not only allow, but will likely require, changes in the way that plans reimburse for certain services and coverage is determined.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
POLITICO Morning eHealth - #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
New alliance from NYeHC, HIMSS, IWG — New fire from private sector for interoperability? — AMIA panel criticizes IOM EHR report - POLITICO Morning eHealth - POLITICO.com
ICD-10 COALITION WANTS TO KEEP SWITCH DATE AT OCT. 1, 2015: A group of organizations that favor switching to the more complex ICD-10 coding system next October urged congressional leaders to keep the compliance date as is. In a letter to Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the ICD-10 Coalition reminded the leaders that a one-year delay of implementation cost $6.8 billion, according to HHS estimates. “Further delays beyond Oct. 1, 2015 range from $1 billion to $6.6 billion in additional costs,” the letter stated. “Nearly three quarters of the hospitals and health systems surveyed just before the current delay were confident in their ability to successfully implement ICD-10.” The American Medical Association has long opposed the move to ICD-10. AMA President Robert Wah reiterated this last week. “For more than a decade, the AMA kept ICD-10 at bay,” he said, “and we want to freeze it in carbonite.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 COALITION WANTS TO KEEP SWITCH DATE AT OCT. 1, 2015: A group of organizations that favor switching to the more complex ICD-10 coding system next October urged congressional leaders to keep the compliance date as is. In a letter to Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the ICD-10 Coalition reminded the leaders that a one-year delay of implementation cost $6.8 billion, according to HHS estimates. “Further delays beyond Oct. 1, 2015 range from $1 billion to $6.6 billion in additional costs,” the letter stated. “Nearly three quarters of the hospitals and health systems surveyed just before the current delay were confident in their ability to successfully implement ICD-10.” The American Medical Association has long opposed the move to ICD-10. AMA President Robert Wah reiterated this last week. “For more than a decade, the AMA kept ICD-10 at bay,” he said, “and we want to freeze it in carbonite.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Medical Practices Strive To Regain Patient Focus With IT #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Medical Practices Strive To Regain Patient Focus With IT
By Ken Congdon, editor-in-chief, Health IT Outcomes
Follow Me On Twitter @KenOnHIT
Medical practices and technology collide every year at the MGMA (Medical Group Management Association) annual conference. This year’s event, held October 26-29 in Las Vegas, was no exception. A plethora of information technology products — from EHRs to telehealth to data analytics solutions — was showcased in the MGMA exhibit hall and many were also the subject of educational sessions. However, one central theme seemed to encapsulate how medical practices view all of these technology options. In short, physician practices want IT to make them more efficient so they can place their focus back where it belongs — on their patients and improving outcomes.
The healthcare industry as a whole has been consumed with change over the past several years. Health providers have been struggling to fulfill EHR Meaningful Use (MU) requirements, address healthcare reform, cope with reimbursement changes, and prepare for the imminent transition to ICD-10. All of these initiatives can take focus and resources away from patient care. Medical practices have arguably been impacted more than other providers in this regard. For example, group practices tend to have smaller staffs and budgets than hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Therefore, addressing government directives and compliance mandates takes added effort on the part of the caregivers themselves — effort that often comes at the expense of patient care. Physician practices are getting sick and tired of this trade off. They want to get back to practicing medicine full time, and they are looking to IT to help them get there.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
By Ken Congdon, editor-in-chief, Health IT Outcomes
Follow Me On Twitter @KenOnHIT
Medical practices and technology collide every year at the MGMA (Medical Group Management Association) annual conference. This year’s event, held October 26-29 in Las Vegas, was no exception. A plethora of information technology products — from EHRs to telehealth to data analytics solutions — was showcased in the MGMA exhibit hall and many were also the subject of educational sessions. However, one central theme seemed to encapsulate how medical practices view all of these technology options. In short, physician practices want IT to make them more efficient so they can place their focus back where it belongs — on their patients and improving outcomes.
The healthcare industry as a whole has been consumed with change over the past several years. Health providers have been struggling to fulfill EHR Meaningful Use (MU) requirements, address healthcare reform, cope with reimbursement changes, and prepare for the imminent transition to ICD-10. All of these initiatives can take focus and resources away from patient care. Medical practices have arguably been impacted more than other providers in this regard. For example, group practices tend to have smaller staffs and budgets than hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Therefore, addressing government directives and compliance mandates takes added effort on the part of the caregivers themselves — effort that often comes at the expense of patient care. Physician practices are getting sick and tired of this trade off. They want to get back to practicing medicine full time, and they are looking to IT to help them get there.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 Implementation Is Less Than A Year Away #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ICD-10 Implementation Is Less Than A Year Away: What You Need To Do To Be Ready Part II | hmsabc
Posted on November 18, 2014
In our last post, we looked at how providers can develop an implementation strategy, including an assessment of the impact of ICD-10 on their organization. This post will explore other key ICD-10 transition steps after your initial assessment.
Start by contacting your business associates periodically to follow up on their readiness status. This includes payers and system vendors. Ask them for updates regarding their ICD-10 transition process and any changes to their readiness timeline. Also, along with your coding staff, continue to increase your familiarity with the ICD-10 code sets and the associated coding guidelines. Inpatient coders should start familiarizing themselves with ICD-10 definitions, such as root operations and approaches.
Next, complete any tasks identified during your impact assessment, including implementing system changes and completing internal testing of system changes. Once vendors, payers and other business associates are ready for testing, begin the testing process and modify or develop policies and procedures from your initial assessment.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Posted on November 18, 2014
In our last post, we looked at how providers can develop an implementation strategy, including an assessment of the impact of ICD-10 on their organization. This post will explore other key ICD-10 transition steps after your initial assessment.
Start by contacting your business associates periodically to follow up on their readiness status. This includes payers and system vendors. Ask them for updates regarding their ICD-10 transition process and any changes to their readiness timeline. Also, along with your coding staff, continue to increase your familiarity with the ICD-10 code sets and the associated coding guidelines. Inpatient coders should start familiarizing themselves with ICD-10 definitions, such as root operations and approaches.
Next, complete any tasks identified during your impact assessment, including implementing system changes and completing internal testing of system changes. Once vendors, payers and other business associates are ready for testing, begin the testing process and modify or develop policies and procedures from your initial assessment.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Hospital CFOs: No More ICD-10 Delays #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Hospital CFOs: No More ICD-10 Delays
Nov. 18—Despite continued calls by some physician advocates to further delay or discarding the switchover to a new healthcare code set, the largest national advocacy group for hospital CFOs joined numerous groups in urging Congress to allow it to go forward.
The Healthcare Financial Management Association and a coalition of healthcare IT and insurer advocacy groups and device manufacturers wrote leaders of Congress on Nov. 12 to urge them to allow a long-delayed switch to ICD-10 to proceed on Oct. 1, 2015. Congress implemented a one-year delay in healthcare entities’ compliance with the switchover to the new procedure order codes after a previous one-year delay by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was set to expire.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Nov. 18—Despite continued calls by some physician advocates to further delay or discarding the switchover to a new healthcare code set, the largest national advocacy group for hospital CFOs joined numerous groups in urging Congress to allow it to go forward.
The Healthcare Financial Management Association and a coalition of healthcare IT and insurer advocacy groups and device manufacturers wrote leaders of Congress on Nov. 12 to urge them to allow a long-delayed switch to ICD-10 to proceed on Oct. 1, 2015. Congress implemented a one-year delay in healthcare entities’ compliance with the switchover to the new procedure order codes after a previous one-year delay by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was set to expire.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Organizations urge Congress to avoid further ICD-10 delays #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Organizations urge Congress to avoid further ICD-10 delays - FierceHealthIT
November 18, 2014 | By Dan Bowman
A group of 15 organizations--including the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, the American Health Information Management Association, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and America's Health Insurance Plans--is urging congressional leaders to ensure that no future delays to ICD-10 implementation take place.
In a recent letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, the organizations--which call themselves the Coalition for ICD-10--say that prior delays have been "disruptive and costly," as well as an impediment to innovations in care delivery and payment reform.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
November 18, 2014 | By Dan Bowman
A group of 15 organizations--including the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, the American Health Information Management Association, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and America's Health Insurance Plans--is urging congressional leaders to ensure that no future delays to ICD-10 implementation take place.
In a recent letter to House Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, the organizations--which call themselves the Coalition for ICD-10--say that prior delays have been "disruptive and costly," as well as an impediment to innovations in care delivery and payment reform.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
11/18/14
Soliciting material #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
We are actively soliciting original material.
The material should be focused on Health IT, ICD-10, and other health related topics,
The material can be in the form of news releases, factual content, or opinion pieces relating to the subject matter of this blog.
Content deemed inappropriate will not be published, authors will be credited, plagarized material will be filtered to the best of our ability (we are not responsible for damages incurred).
We publish weekdays to the Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and G+. All links on social sites lead back to the blog.
Get published! Send in your original material!
Send materials to sales@remediator.com
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
The material should be focused on Health IT, ICD-10, and other health related topics,
The material can be in the form of news releases, factual content, or opinion pieces relating to the subject matter of this blog.
Content deemed inappropriate will not be published, authors will be credited, plagarized material will be filtered to the best of our ability (we are not responsible for damages incurred).
We publish weekdays to the Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and G+. All links on social sites lead back to the blog.
Get published! Send in your original material!
Send materials to sales@remediator.com
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Cost of Physician I-10 Conversion Study Challenged #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Cost of Physician I-10 Conversion Study Challenged
Written by Stanley Nachimson | Monday, 17 November 2014 05:00
EDITOR’S NOTE: Healthcare consultant Stanley Nachimson, founder and principal of Nachimson Advisors, responds to an article recently published in the Journal of AHIMA, “Cost of Converting Small Physician Offices to ICD-10 Much Lower than Previously Reported.”
While I welcome attempts to refine and improve the estimates produced by the recently released 2014 Nachimson Advisors study, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) journal article unfortunately contains several misstatements and invalid assumptions that render its conclusions misleading at best. I will point out several of these to show that the title and conclusion should be disregarded.
First, I note that my study includes costs for all of the tasks that should be undertaken in any ICD-10 implementation process. These tasks have been described in many guides about ICD-10 implementation; in fact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website “Road to I-10,” which provides guidance targeted to small providers, lists these steps in its action plans. These tasks include planning and assessments, training, updating processes, engaging vendors and plans, and internal and external testing.
The AHIMA paper omits any mention of planning and assessment, as well as internal testing. These are critical steps practices must take to ensure that their ICD-10 implementation is done correctly and that there will be little or no revenue impact post-Oct. 1, 2015.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Written by Stanley Nachimson | Monday, 17 November 2014 05:00
EDITOR’S NOTE: Healthcare consultant Stanley Nachimson, founder and principal of Nachimson Advisors, responds to an article recently published in the Journal of AHIMA, “Cost of Converting Small Physician Offices to ICD-10 Much Lower than Previously Reported.”
While I welcome attempts to refine and improve the estimates produced by the recently released 2014 Nachimson Advisors study, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) journal article unfortunately contains several misstatements and invalid assumptions that render its conclusions misleading at best. I will point out several of these to show that the title and conclusion should be disregarded.
First, I note that my study includes costs for all of the tasks that should be undertaken in any ICD-10 implementation process. These tasks have been described in many guides about ICD-10 implementation; in fact the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website “Road to I-10,” which provides guidance targeted to small providers, lists these steps in its action plans. These tasks include planning and assessments, training, updating processes, engaging vendors and plans, and internal and external testing.
The AHIMA paper omits any mention of planning and assessment, as well as internal testing. These are critical steps practices must take to ensure that their ICD-10 implementation is done correctly and that there will be little or no revenue impact post-Oct. 1, 2015.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
AMA's Long-Awaited Call For End To 'Meaningful Use' #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
AMA's Long-Awaited Call For End To 'Meaningful Use' Penalties Would Just Entrench The Status Quo In Healthcare
After years of delay, the American Medical Association (unofficial motto: “Ruthlessly Defending the Status Quo Since 1847″) finally did last week what everybody knew was inevitable. The AMA officially adopted a policy calling on the federal government to do away with the impending Medicare penalties for failing to achieve “Meaningful Use” of electronic health records.
Any hospital or individual “eligible professionals” — including all U.S. physicians that participate in Medicare — that didn’t get to at least Stage 1 of the Meaningful Use EHR incentive program by the end of last year faces a 1 percent reduction in Medicare payments starting Jan. 1. That noncompliance penalty gradually increases each year until it reaches 5 percent in 2019, though the reduction is capped at 3 percent from 2017 on if more than 75 percent of eligible professionals nationwide have achieved Meaningful Use.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
After years of delay, the American Medical Association (unofficial motto: “Ruthlessly Defending the Status Quo Since 1847″) finally did last week what everybody knew was inevitable. The AMA officially adopted a policy calling on the federal government to do away with the impending Medicare penalties for failing to achieve “Meaningful Use” of electronic health records.
Any hospital or individual “eligible professionals” — including all U.S. physicians that participate in Medicare — that didn’t get to at least Stage 1 of the Meaningful Use EHR incentive program by the end of last year faces a 1 percent reduction in Medicare payments starting Jan. 1. That noncompliance penalty gradually increases each year until it reaches 5 percent in 2019, though the reduction is capped at 3 percent from 2017 on if more than 75 percent of eligible professionals nationwide have achieved Meaningful Use.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
AMIA conference kicks off in D.C. today #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
AMIA conference kicks off in D.C. today — New York eHealth Collaborative Digital Health Conference in NYC, too — State medical boards meet over telemedicine - POLITICO Morning eHealth - POLITICO.com
By ASHLEY GOLD | 11/17/14 10:03 AM EDT
With help from Arthur Allen (@ArthurAllen202) and David Pittman (@David_Pittman)
AMIA CONFERENCE KICKS OFF IN D.C., led by former ONC Chief Scientist Doug Fridsma, with his former boss, Karen DeSalvo, delivering the closing keynote. Amy Abernethy, chief medical officer of Flatiron Health, delivers the opening keynote today. ONC and CMS will give a policy update in the morning, but we’re most interested in these sessions. An AMIA task force at 10:30 a.m. will present “recommendations to assure EHRs fit well into evolving workflow of health care delivery, support team-based care, enhance productivity and safety, and are as easy as possible to adopt.” In other words, ensuring doctors won’t rip out their EHRs or their hair. Tomorrow, we’ll hear perspectives on a new IOM report that suggests social and behavioral determinants be included in EHRs. The Health Services Platform Consortium, a group using HL7’s FHIR programming language, will discuss interoperable applications in healthcare.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
By ASHLEY GOLD | 11/17/14 10:03 AM EDT
With help from Arthur Allen (@ArthurAllen202) and David Pittman (@David_Pittman)
AMIA CONFERENCE KICKS OFF IN D.C., led by former ONC Chief Scientist Doug Fridsma, with his former boss, Karen DeSalvo, delivering the closing keynote. Amy Abernethy, chief medical officer of Flatiron Health, delivers the opening keynote today. ONC and CMS will give a policy update in the morning, but we’re most interested in these sessions. An AMIA task force at 10:30 a.m. will present “recommendations to assure EHRs fit well into evolving workflow of health care delivery, support team-based care, enhance productivity and safety, and are as easy as possible to adopt.” In other words, ensuring doctors won’t rip out their EHRs or their hair. Tomorrow, we’ll hear perspectives on a new IOM report that suggests social and behavioral determinants be included in EHRs. The Health Services Platform Consortium, a group using HL7’s FHIR programming language, will discuss interoperable applications in healthcare.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Dental coding ICD-10 CM, Time to prepare your practice now! #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Dental coding ICD-10 CM – Time to prepare your practice now! - DentistryIQ
November 17, 2014
By Terri Bradley
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. Hear that? It's the sound of time passing. On October 1, 2015, the United States will implement a new, updated diagnosis code set. ICD-10 CM (International Classification of Disease, Volume 10) will become the new code set for all medical claims submitted with a date of service after October 1, 2015.
You may be thinking, I don’t submit medical claims, so I don’t have to know about this. As a dental office you may not submit medical claims often, but I can guarantee you, there will be times when it will benefit both you and your patients if you submit some services to medical carriers. For example, did you know that many patients have coverage for dental-related trauma under their medical plans? If you can get some claims paid under a medical plan rather than using dental benefits, you may be saving patients money and saving their benefits so they can use those benefits for other procedures in your practice.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
November 17, 2014
By Terri Bradley
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. Hear that? It's the sound of time passing. On October 1, 2015, the United States will implement a new, updated diagnosis code set. ICD-10 CM (International Classification of Disease, Volume 10) will become the new code set for all medical claims submitted with a date of service after October 1, 2015.
You may be thinking, I don’t submit medical claims, so I don’t have to know about this. As a dental office you may not submit medical claims often, but I can guarantee you, there will be times when it will benefit both you and your patients if you submit some services to medical carriers. For example, did you know that many patients have coverage for dental-related trauma under their medical plans? If you can get some claims paid under a medical plan rather than using dental benefits, you may be saving patients money and saving their benefits so they can use those benefits for other procedures in your practice.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Why ICD-10 cost a lot less than we anticipate #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Why ICD-10 might actually cost a lot less than we anticipate | Government Health IT
November 17, 2014 | Carl Natale, Editor, ICD10Watch
For years, the industry has been operating on cost estimates for ICD-10 that project the ticket will be approximately $85,000 for even a small medical group with about 3 doctors.
And that perceived cost of ICD-10 implementation is the real reason behind so many physician's resistance to ICD-10 implementation.
It doesn't help that there are plenty of articles comparing ICD-10 implementation to Y2K. Who really wants to take on that?
But the Journal of AHIMA examines the cost issue with a piece of analysis concluding that ICD-10 implementation will cost less than most healthcare professionals think.
We're talking $1,960-$5,900 for small medical practices. Yes, you read that right, and the bulk of it goes toward training.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
November 17, 2014 | Carl Natale, Editor, ICD10Watch
For years, the industry has been operating on cost estimates for ICD-10 that project the ticket will be approximately $85,000 for even a small medical group with about 3 doctors.
And that perceived cost of ICD-10 implementation is the real reason behind so many physician's resistance to ICD-10 implementation.
It doesn't help that there are plenty of articles comparing ICD-10 implementation to Y2K. Who really wants to take on that?
But the Journal of AHIMA examines the cost issue with a piece of analysis concluding that ICD-10 implementation will cost less than most healthcare professionals think.
We're talking $1,960-$5,900 for small medical practices. Yes, you read that right, and the bulk of it goes toward training.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
How Much Will ICD-10 Cost Your Practice #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
How Much Will ICD-10 Cost Your Practice
By Katie Wike, contributing writer
Initial reports estimated an ICD-10 implementation would be accompanied by a hefty price tag, but a more recent evaluation found costs might not be as high as initially believed.
Health IT Outcomes reported ICD-10 preparation could be costly for providers, especially those in small practices. These estimates predicted the cost could be as high as:
$56,639 to more than $226,000 for small practices
$213,364 to more than $824,735 for medium practices
$2 million to more than $8 million for large practices
“These figures indicate that physician practices face significant costs with ICD-10 implementation, and especially the risk of payment disruptions,” the report's authors at the AMA said. “A poorly executed ICD-10 implementation effort will increase those risks and expose practices to large costs in 2014 and beyond.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
By Katie Wike, contributing writer
Initial reports estimated an ICD-10 implementation would be accompanied by a hefty price tag, but a more recent evaluation found costs might not be as high as initially believed.
Health IT Outcomes reported ICD-10 preparation could be costly for providers, especially those in small practices. These estimates predicted the cost could be as high as:
$56,639 to more than $226,000 for small practices
$213,364 to more than $824,735 for medium practices
$2 million to more than $8 million for large practices
“These figures indicate that physician practices face significant costs with ICD-10 implementation, and especially the risk of payment disruptions,” the report's authors at the AMA said. “A poorly executed ICD-10 implementation effort will increase those risks and expose practices to large costs in 2014 and beyond.”
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Five ICD-10 Tasks to Complete by the End of 2014 #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Five ICD-10 Tasks to Complete by the End of 2014 | EHRintelligence.com
Author Jennifer Bresnick | Date November 17, 2014
ICD-10 isn’t going to take a holiday, but providers can take a few basic steps to prepare before it’s time to celebrate the new year.
Believe it or not, the winter holiday season is nearly upon us, and ICD-10 is tops on the list of projects that are likely to be put aside in favor of office parties and family vacations. While the new code set will not come into effect until October 1, 2015, if the current implementation date holds, there are plenty of ICD-10 tasks that providers should consider getting under way before the end-of-the-year slump.
Already have an impact assessment? You might need to do another one
If you’re one of the 27% of providers who have not completed a financial impact assessment at this point in the transition process, you know what to do. Whether you hire a consultant or scrape together some in-house resources, it is critical to have a thorough inventory of what health IT systems need to be upgraded, what staff members must receive education, and how much it will cost.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Author Jennifer Bresnick | Date November 17, 2014
ICD-10 isn’t going to take a holiday, but providers can take a few basic steps to prepare before it’s time to celebrate the new year.
Believe it or not, the winter holiday season is nearly upon us, and ICD-10 is tops on the list of projects that are likely to be put aside in favor of office parties and family vacations. While the new code set will not come into effect until October 1, 2015, if the current implementation date holds, there are plenty of ICD-10 tasks that providers should consider getting under way before the end-of-the-year slump.
Already have an impact assessment? You might need to do another one
If you’re one of the 27% of providers who have not completed a financial impact assessment at this point in the transition process, you know what to do. Whether you hire a consultant or scrape together some in-house resources, it is critical to have a thorough inventory of what health IT systems need to be upgraded, what staff members must receive education, and how much it will cost.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Documenting Autism in ICD-10 #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Documenting Autism in ICD-10
Written by Kathy Pride, CPC, RHIT, CCS-P | Monday, 17 November 2014 00:00
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld shocked the nation recently when he announced he “might be on the autism spectrum” and subsequently created an uproar in the autism community.
Many have viewed his statement as a play for attention and as an insult to those who are severely autistic. However, one must look at the context of the statement before rushing to judgment. Mr. Seinfeld did not claim to have autism; his reflective words implied he may have what John Elder Robison referred to in a recent article in Psychology Today as the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP)—people who have traits of autism, but not to the degree that they would be diagnosed autistic. According to Robison, millions of people are in this BAP group.
What do we know about autism? According to the National Institutes of Health, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autistic disorder, sometimes called autism or classical ASD, is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include a milder form known as Asperger syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Although ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group. Experts estimate that one out of 88 children aged eight will have an ASD (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 30, 2012). Males are four times more likely to have an ASD than females. Children whose language skills regress early in life (before age three) appear to have a higher than normal risk of developing epilepsy or seizure-like brain activity.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Written by Kathy Pride, CPC, RHIT, CCS-P | Monday, 17 November 2014 00:00
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld shocked the nation recently when he announced he “might be on the autism spectrum” and subsequently created an uproar in the autism community.
Many have viewed his statement as a play for attention and as an insult to those who are severely autistic. However, one must look at the context of the statement before rushing to judgment. Mr. Seinfeld did not claim to have autism; his reflective words implied he may have what John Elder Robison referred to in a recent article in Psychology Today as the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP)—people who have traits of autism, but not to the degree that they would be diagnosed autistic. According to Robison, millions of people are in this BAP group.
What do we know about autism? According to the National Institutes of Health, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autistic disorder, sometimes called autism or classical ASD, is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include a milder form known as Asperger syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Although ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group. Experts estimate that one out of 88 children aged eight will have an ASD (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 30, 2012). Males are four times more likely to have an ASD than females. Children whose language skills regress early in life (before age three) appear to have a higher than normal risk of developing epilepsy or seizure-like brain activity.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
To Shift or Not to Shift, That is the Question #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
To Shift or Not to Shift, That is the Question
Written by Maria T. Bounos, RN, MPM, CPC-H | Monday, 17 November 2014 05:00
It’s that time of year again: now that all of the major 2015 Federal Register Final Rules are published, many of us find ourselves scurrying to assess how these payment systems, Inpatient, Outpatient, and Physician, just to name a few, are going to affect our business. Although the Inpatient Prospective Payment System for 2015 did not change much from a code-set perspective, the ICD-10 implementation date is right around the corner and will be here before we know it. It is imperative not to lose focus and assure that you are ready to not only answer the question of payment systems shifts but know the cause and how to remediate.
THIS IS IT. We are in our last year of preparation and organizations need to understand the financial shift from ICD-9 to ICD-10, how it impacts the bottom line, and what you need to do NOW to prepare prior to the implementation date. Understanding that from a reimbursement perspective, organizations have a lot going on right now, with a long list of to-dos that seems never-ending. It is our understanding that historically, providers struggle, as it is not always clear if they should start by analyzing the impact from a facility perspective, focus on the providers in their organization, or isolate specific service lines. In order for an organization to be successful, it will get the most mileage by analyzing patient claims data.
The impact of ICD-10 for organizations can be looked at from three different perspectives: True financial risk, potential financial risk, and low financial risk, and are defined as follows:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Written by Maria T. Bounos, RN, MPM, CPC-H | Monday, 17 November 2014 05:00
It’s that time of year again: now that all of the major 2015 Federal Register Final Rules are published, many of us find ourselves scurrying to assess how these payment systems, Inpatient, Outpatient, and Physician, just to name a few, are going to affect our business. Although the Inpatient Prospective Payment System for 2015 did not change much from a code-set perspective, the ICD-10 implementation date is right around the corner and will be here before we know it. It is imperative not to lose focus and assure that you are ready to not only answer the question of payment systems shifts but know the cause and how to remediate.
THIS IS IT. We are in our last year of preparation and organizations need to understand the financial shift from ICD-9 to ICD-10, how it impacts the bottom line, and what you need to do NOW to prepare prior to the implementation date. Understanding that from a reimbursement perspective, organizations have a lot going on right now, with a long list of to-dos that seems never-ending. It is our understanding that historically, providers struggle, as it is not always clear if they should start by analyzing the impact from a facility perspective, focus on the providers in their organization, or isolate specific service lines. In order for an organization to be successful, it will get the most mileage by analyzing patient claims data.
The impact of ICD-10 for organizations can be looked at from three different perspectives: True financial risk, potential financial risk, and low financial risk, and are defined as follows:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Autism – Self-Care vs. Right Reimbursement #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Autism – Clinical Documentation for Autistic Patients: Self-Care vs. Right Reimbursement
Written by Ellen VanBuskirk | Monday, 17 November 2014 00:00
I have written several articles for ICD10monitor over the years as we as an industry grapple with ICD-10 compliance. Like many of you, I have become a bit ICD-10-weary, but I have found a new breath of energy in the topic of autism and ICD-10.
Autism is a vague diagnosis to many, and the fact that there is a spectrum of symptoms complicates the clinical picture, and thus could complicate how ICD is applied. I am not going to attempt to be an expert on how to code a complicated diagnosis like autism, but I want to present the importance of the diagnosis to the 1-88 or 1-66 families of children, whichever statistic one chooses. I think it is important to look at where the World Health Organization (WHO) placed the ICD-10 code for autism more than 10 years ago, when the I-10 code was developed. It was a part of the mental health disorders, not a neurological diagnosis. ICD-10 was endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly in May 1990 and came into use in WHO member states as of 1994.
Obviously, there has been considerable research, and it continues today around the cause and symptoms and treatment for the children properly diagnosed with autism. Thus, it is critical to ensure the clinical record is documented in detail so the proper ICD-10/Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) codes are applied.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Written by Ellen VanBuskirk | Monday, 17 November 2014 00:00
I have written several articles for ICD10monitor over the years as we as an industry grapple with ICD-10 compliance. Like many of you, I have become a bit ICD-10-weary, but I have found a new breath of energy in the topic of autism and ICD-10.
Autism is a vague diagnosis to many, and the fact that there is a spectrum of symptoms complicates the clinical picture, and thus could complicate how ICD is applied. I am not going to attempt to be an expert on how to code a complicated diagnosis like autism, but I want to present the importance of the diagnosis to the 1-88 or 1-66 families of children, whichever statistic one chooses. I think it is important to look at where the World Health Organization (WHO) placed the ICD-10 code for autism more than 10 years ago, when the I-10 code was developed. It was a part of the mental health disorders, not a neurological diagnosis. ICD-10 was endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly in May 1990 and came into use in WHO member states as of 1994.
Obviously, there has been considerable research, and it continues today around the cause and symptoms and treatment for the children properly diagnosed with autism. Thus, it is critical to ensure the clinical record is documented in detail so the proper ICD-10/Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) codes are applied.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Where Obamacare and ICD-10 Collide #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Where Obamacare and ICD-10 Collide
Posted on November 17th, 2014
The Affordable Care Act, or more commonly known as ACA or “Obamacare”, continues to put pressure on providers and employers with respect to insurance coverage’s, quality of care standards, cost controls, and overall coverage. A significant component of ACA is the enforcing governmental entity, which is the IRS. Yes – the same IRS that is in charge of tax collection, has a reputation for making rules completely unintelligible, enforcing large fines against the “little guys” while big offenders and bazillion-aires pay little or nothing, targeting and auditing those they politically disagree with, and running their own court system with practically no due process for the accused.
The IRS continues to put out memos regarding the ACA’s 501(r) rules that affect non-profit hospitals and the collection of what is owed to them. There are a number of items to be considered, but for the sake of this Post lets take a look at the discussion regarding “extraordinary collection efforts” as defined by the 501(r) rules and enforced by the IRS. A non-profit hospital, among other things, MUST create a financial assistance policy and make that policy known in their community. Within the first 120 days of the date of service a patient has, the provider is prohibited from taking any “extraordinary collection efforts”, which include credit reporting, filing a lawsuit, and a few other actions. The rules go on to extend to another 120 days if the hospital has not correctly created and communicated their financial assistance policy, OR the patient asks for a financial assistance form. If the patient asks for one, then all “extraordinary collection efforts” must cease and/or be reversed, indefinitely. Or until the hospital has reviewed their application for assistance. So – no credit reporting, lawsuit, garnishments for up to 240 days after date of service.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Posted on November 17th, 2014
The Affordable Care Act, or more commonly known as ACA or “Obamacare”, continues to put pressure on providers and employers with respect to insurance coverage’s, quality of care standards, cost controls, and overall coverage. A significant component of ACA is the enforcing governmental entity, which is the IRS. Yes – the same IRS that is in charge of tax collection, has a reputation for making rules completely unintelligible, enforcing large fines against the “little guys” while big offenders and bazillion-aires pay little or nothing, targeting and auditing those they politically disagree with, and running their own court system with practically no due process for the accused.
The IRS continues to put out memos regarding the ACA’s 501(r) rules that affect non-profit hospitals and the collection of what is owed to them. There are a number of items to be considered, but for the sake of this Post lets take a look at the discussion regarding “extraordinary collection efforts” as defined by the 501(r) rules and enforced by the IRS. A non-profit hospital, among other things, MUST create a financial assistance policy and make that policy known in their community. Within the first 120 days of the date of service a patient has, the provider is prohibited from taking any “extraordinary collection efforts”, which include credit reporting, filing a lawsuit, and a few other actions. The rules go on to extend to another 120 days if the hospital has not correctly created and communicated their financial assistance policy, OR the patient asks for a financial assistance form. If the patient asks for one, then all “extraordinary collection efforts” must cease and/or be reversed, indefinitely. Or until the hospital has reviewed their application for assistance. So – no credit reporting, lawsuit, garnishments for up to 240 days after date of service.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 Updates #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
LONG TERM CARE LEADER: ICD-10 Updates
ICD-10 Updates
Dianne De La Mare
As reported previously, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a final rule setting Oct. 1, 2015, as the new compliance date for health care eproviders, health plans and health care clearinghouses to transition to ICD-10. During the upcoming MLN Connects National Provider call on Nov. 5, 2014, CMS subject matter experts will discuss ICD-10 implementation issues, opportunities for testing and federal government developed resources.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 Updates
Dianne De La Mare
As reported previously, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a final rule setting Oct. 1, 2015, as the new compliance date for health care eproviders, health plans and health care clearinghouses to transition to ICD-10. During the upcoming MLN Connects National Provider call on Nov. 5, 2014, CMS subject matter experts will discuss ICD-10 implementation issues, opportunities for testing and federal government developed resources.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD Ebola and How We Talk about It #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ICD | Johns Hopkins University Press Blog
Ebola and How We Talk about It
Guest post by Annemarie Goldstein Jutel
Diseases are much more than the viruses which cause them. Even in the presence of well-defined physical illness, social and cultural beliefs and behaviors have a strong impact on how we can understand the disease and mitigate its impact. The Ebola virus provides us with an excellent example. A source both of fascination and fear, this virus highlights just how the words we use to discuss it influence its impact on the ground.
Classifying disease has roles which go beyond simply helping someone to get better. The whole process of classifying diseases formally and maintaining public health records emerged at the same time as the modern state, with disease tracking part of how nations sought to identify and protect their citizenry. Nineteenth-century epidemics such as influenza and cholera were constrained in their spread by the length of time it took for sick people to travel; the slowness of transport meant that the sick normally died before they could travel far enough to spread the disease. Today, however, because of the increasing efficiency of travel, germs can travel from country to country, spreading disease across national borders: disease victims have a chance of surviving long enough to pollute a second nation. Classifications therefore had to be able to cross national boundaries with the germs.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Ebola and How We Talk about It
Guest post by Annemarie Goldstein Jutel
Diseases are much more than the viruses which cause them. Even in the presence of well-defined physical illness, social and cultural beliefs and behaviors have a strong impact on how we can understand the disease and mitigate its impact. The Ebola virus provides us with an excellent example. A source both of fascination and fear, this virus highlights just how the words we use to discuss it influence its impact on the ground.
Classifying disease has roles which go beyond simply helping someone to get better. The whole process of classifying diseases formally and maintaining public health records emerged at the same time as the modern state, with disease tracking part of how nations sought to identify and protect their citizenry. Nineteenth-century epidemics such as influenza and cholera were constrained in their spread by the length of time it took for sick people to travel; the slowness of transport meant that the sick normally died before they could travel far enough to spread the disease. Today, however, because of the increasing efficiency of travel, germs can travel from country to country, spreading disease across national borders: disease victims have a chance of surviving long enough to pollute a second nation. Classifications therefore had to be able to cross national boundaries with the germs.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
11/17/14
ACA releases 2nd edition ICD-10 Toolkit featuring updated resources #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
ACA releases 2nd edition ICD-10 Toolkit featuring updated resources
November 14, 2014
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has released a 2nd edition ICD-10 Toolkit to prepare doctors of chiropractic for a seamless transition to ICD-10 coding beginning Oct. 1, 2015.
Beginning Oct. 1, 2015, the ICD-9 codes currently used to describe diagnoses and treatment plans can no longer be used by HIPAA-covered entities. The conversion to ICD-10 will enable U.S. healthcare providers to report greater specificity and clinical information.
The new coding system includes updated healthcare terminology and provides higher quality data for processing claims and making clinical decisions. It may also enhance the ability to provide data that proves the effectiveness and positive outcomes achieved by chiropractic services.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
November 14, 2014
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has released a 2nd edition ICD-10 Toolkit to prepare doctors of chiropractic for a seamless transition to ICD-10 coding beginning Oct. 1, 2015.
Beginning Oct. 1, 2015, the ICD-9 codes currently used to describe diagnoses and treatment plans can no longer be used by HIPAA-covered entities. The conversion to ICD-10 will enable U.S. healthcare providers to report greater specificity and clinical information.
The new coding system includes updated healthcare terminology and provides higher quality data for processing claims and making clinical decisions. It may also enhance the ability to provide data that proves the effectiveness and positive outcomes achieved by chiropractic services.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
Accurate ICD-10 Implementation Critical for Claims Payments #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Georgia Health Care Association – Accurate ICD-10 Implementation Critical for Claims Payments
As the October 1, 2015 implementation date gets closer, GHCA, along with AHCA/NCAL, encourages long term and post-acute care providers to start now to educate and train staff; make the required software changes to submit accurate assessments or claims with ICD-10 CM code sets; and monitor any state Medicaid policy changes that may be required by ICD-10-CM code sets. Although CMS has provided numerous tools and resources for certain health care providers – – it has not very successfully provided tools for long term and post-acute care providers. GHCA has training planned; and AHCA/NCAL is currently planning its own series of webinars especially for our sector (mark your calendars for Dec. 5th and 11th), which will be advertised shortly. In the meantime, to obtain more general information regarding ICD-10 implementation information go to:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
As the October 1, 2015 implementation date gets closer, GHCA, along with AHCA/NCAL, encourages long term and post-acute care providers to start now to educate and train staff; make the required software changes to submit accurate assessments or claims with ICD-10 CM code sets; and monitor any state Medicaid policy changes that may be required by ICD-10-CM code sets. Although CMS has provided numerous tools and resources for certain health care providers – – it has not very successfully provided tools for long term and post-acute care providers. GHCA has training planned; and AHCA/NCAL is currently planning its own series of webinars especially for our sector (mark your calendars for Dec. 5th and 11th), which will be advertised shortly. In the meantime, to obtain more general information regarding ICD-10 implementation information go to:
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 — Are You Ready? #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Narhc – National Association of Rural Health Clinics ICD-10 — Are You Ready?
ICD-10 — Are You Ready?
Although October 1, 2015 seems like a long way off, you should be taking this time to be sure you, your vendors and your payers are ready! The best way to know you are ready is to engage in end-to-end testing with your vendors and health plans. Contact the health plans you work with most frequently and ask them if they plan to do full end-to-end ICD-10 testing and if so, when? If the Health Plans says they have no plans to test, let them know that this is unacceptable! The last thing you want is to have your claims denied or kicked back beginning on October 1, 2015 because something in the Plans EDI system won’t allow your claims to process correctly. When it comes to ICD-10, test early, test often….
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
ICD-10 — Are You Ready?
Although October 1, 2015 seems like a long way off, you should be taking this time to be sure you, your vendors and your payers are ready! The best way to know you are ready is to engage in end-to-end testing with your vendors and health plans. Contact the health plans you work with most frequently and ask them if they plan to do full end-to-end ICD-10 testing and if so, when? If the Health Plans says they have no plans to test, let them know that this is unacceptable! The last thing you want is to have your claims denied or kicked back beginning on October 1, 2015 because something in the Plans EDI system won’t allow your claims to process correctly. When it comes to ICD-10, test early, test often….
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
BCBSM | Coalition for ICD-10 #ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
BCBSM | Coalition for ICD-10
The Coalition for ICD-10 presents the third installment of its Member Spotlight series with the focus on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM).
By Dennis Winkler, Director of Technical Program Management and ICD-10 for BCBS of Michigan
When news of the ICD-10 implementation delay came, we at BCBSM had two thoughts: First, what do we have to do to accommodate the delay and secondly, how do we help to avoid another delay. It was similar to questions that entities around the country were asking themselves. The first question was relatively easy to answer – we simply executed the contingencies we had defined as we started our ICD-10 program. The second question required a lot more thought and consideration.
When looking at how to avoid another delay, you have to understand the reason for the initial delays. The predominant reason for delaying ICD-10 was lack of industry readiness. As we looked around our landscape we saw that certain entities were having a more difficult time getting ready for ICD-10 than others. One area of focus that we decided to concentrate was the smaller professional health care provider practice.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
The Coalition for ICD-10 presents the third installment of its Member Spotlight series with the focus on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM).
By Dennis Winkler, Director of Technical Program Management and ICD-10 for BCBS of Michigan
When news of the ICD-10 implementation delay came, we at BCBSM had two thoughts: First, what do we have to do to accommodate the delay and secondly, how do we help to avoid another delay. It was similar to questions that entities around the country were asking themselves. The first question was relatively easy to answer – we simply executed the contingencies we had defined as we started our ICD-10 program. The second question required a lot more thought and consideration.
When looking at how to avoid another delay, you have to understand the reason for the initial delays. The predominant reason for delaying ICD-10 was lack of industry readiness. As we looked around our landscape we saw that certain entities were having a more difficult time getting ready for ICD-10 than others. One area of focus that we decided to concentrate was the smaller professional health care provider practice.
Click the link above for access to the article
#ICD10 #ICDRemediator #ICD10Matters #HealthIT
Get Remediator to assist in your readiness for the ICD-10 switchover www.icdremediator.com
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