ICD-10 is Here: 5 Tips to Help You Transition

October 1, 2015, was the deadline to transition your practice to using ICD-10 codes. You and your staff likely worked long days to get everything ready and you spent many hours on the phone with your vendors and other parties to try to make it run as smoothly as possible. You feel like you made it past that first hurdle, but now you’re worried about glitches and learning curves slowing things down. To help you breathe a little easier, COA has developed a list of tips and guides that will hopefully reduce the number of bumps and bruises you get as you and your staff gets used to this new coding method.   

1. Check out a Noridian workshop
   Noridian is offering some post-deadline workshops that go over transitional tips, policy updates, resources, and more. Here are the links to sign up:

• October 15 ICD-10 Workshop – This workshop features a basic overview of ICD-10. The workshop will include information about what ICD-10 is as well as how to be prepared for the new coding system.
• October 22 ICD-10 Workshop – This workshop goes into the features of ICD-10, General Equivalence Mapping (GEMs), frequently asked questions, and testing.

2. Use COA’s fact sheets
   COA developed several detailed fact sheets that explain ICD-10 coding and offer tips and resources for the transition. Download the fact sheets here (log-in required):

• Resources for ICD-10 – This fact sheet offers a comprehensive list of ICD-10 resources.
• Making the Transition: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes – This fact sheet offers implementation tips, code characteristics, and a task list to complete.

3. Check out CMS guidance on Medicare Claims after October 1, 2015
   CMS developed a fact sheet in response to questions about claims that span the months of September and October. You can access it here:

• Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Claims Processing Guidance for Implementing International Classification of Diseases

4. Have extra cash/credit on hand

While you hope that everything will run smoothly, having a contingency plan is a good idea. Since claims and money could be delayed, it is important to have cash ready to compensate for potential short-term cash flow interruptions. Some doctors are establishing a line of credit with their banks just in case they see a significant drop in revenue due to the potential disruption in the payment cycle.

5. Attend Monterey Symposium
   If you feel like handouts and fact sheets are not enough, consider attending COA’s Monterey Symposium where Spencer Johnson, OD, explains the difference between ICD-9 and ICD-10, the benefits of ICD-10 coding, and helps you feel more confident in using the new system at the course “ICD-10”; and Aaron Lech, OD, FAAO, offers a list of tools to help transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 in his class “Insurance Conundrums -  Top Ten List.”

Finally, remember to be patient with your staff. Claims are likely to initially take longer to process in part because your staff, like you, will be getting used to the new coding method and all of its nuances. This is a stressful situation for everyone involved, but if you are patient and encourage them often, it will be easier and more pleasant for everyone.