Find out if this also covers training expenses.ĭon’t forget to include vendors for other practice management and reporting systems. They may require the vendor to update your systems at their expense. Look closely at the maintenance contracts you have. With a more specific coding system, will they pay the same amount as before or will they decide to cut payments for less severe cases? How our payors are going to implement the changeover is another possible financial impact. Nail down what it will cost so that budgeting can begin.”Īsk if they will be upgrading the current version of your software or if you need a different program. “Get them on the record about when they will be providing updates to computer programs and when you can expect to begin testing.

“Practices need to be proactive in reaching out to their vendors,” Tennant says.

Many think this is a 48–62-month transition, which means some are already way behind.” Contact VendorsĪn early contact every practice should make is with their information management vendors. “The ICD is used in many areas of the practice including financial, practice management, and electronic health records. “Many practices think this is just a software upgrade with no urgency in getting ready,” said Deborah Grider, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-I, CPC-P, CPMA, president and CEO of AAPC. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is also a major provider of helpful hints.” Speed Is of the Essence “The American Medical Association has suggested timelines and budgets for members, as does the MGMA and the AAPC. “The ACR will have extensive information available through the website, at the annual meeting, and in some major cities,” says Chung. Most of the involved organizations are offering information on their websites for members and others (see “For More Information,” p.

There are many places to go to get suggestions on how to best implement the changes needed. Many coders don’t have the knowledge of anatomy and physiology needed in the more clinically driven ICD-10. In ICD-10, the level of specificity is much greater than in ICD-9. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center.Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center.

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