THE DIGITAL PRACTICE

ICD-10 for the underprepared practice

Five key steps will put you on track.

By Peter J Polack, MD, FACS

It’s no secret that many practices are behind the curve when it comes to ICD-10. But the recent one-year delay in implementation gives you the opportunity to catch up, I recently had the opportunity to interview Tony Onorad and Jason McCormac of ICD10Coach.com. They share here their “5 Steps in 10 Days to Jump-start Your ICD-10 Transition.”

ICD10Coach.com offers “5 Steps in 10 Days to Jumpstart Your ICD-10 Transition.”

■ Convert your top 20 codes and identify new documentation elements. Take a look at your top 20 ICD-9 codes going back weeks or months. Convert these codes either manually using code books or software. Mr. McCormac recommends using GEMS (General Equivalency Mapping System). “The only issue with the GEMS translation is that ICD-9 isn’t very specific, so you might not get a direct translation.”

■ Create training tools to help implement the new documentation within the practice. “One way to do this is with flash cards,” says Mr. Onorad.” These can be created manually or using software. Webinars are available specific to each specialty that can help reinforce the training,” he says.

■ Conduct simple chart reviews. Particularly review the billing on the more challenging cases. “This helps to identify where providers are having a tough time already,” says Mr. Onorad. Also bear in mind that ICD-9 will continue after ICD-10 is implemented so both ICD-9 and ICD-10 will run in parallel. Mr. McCormac explains that some entities, such as workers compensation and auto insurance, aren’t required to use ICD-10 codes, so you will need dual-coding capabilities.

■ Engage your software vendors and payers. The ICD-10 transition will impact practices both on the documentation side — EMR and EPM (practice management system) — and the billing side (various insurance payers). For practices using an EMR, don’t accept a simple “Yes, we are ready for ICD-10” from your vendor. Specifically ask how an upgrade will impact the project. “What does that include? What is it going to look like? How are you going to get me there?”

As far as payers, testing should be performed to make sure that claims are going through. If there is a problem, this can help determine whether it is the coding or documentation elements that are slowing things down.

■ Prioritize your time line, create deadlines and accountability. Work back from October 1, 2015, and create a realistic time line. What can you do right now? Form project teams, identify when to put staff through training and who needs training. Will you need to initially reduce your patient volumes? Mr. McCormac adds, “It is also important to monitor things after implementation. Is my provider productivity going down? Is my revenue stream? Are there any dips as a result of ICD-10, and if there are, why?”

You can get the Jump-start infographic, plus a checklist for doing your time line and the full transcript of the one-hour ICD10Coach interview by e-mailing omarticle@emedikon.com OM

Peter J. Polack, MD, FACS, is co-managing partner for Ocala Eye, a multi-subspecialty ophthalmology practice located in Ocala, Fla. He is also founder of Emedikon, an online practice resource for physicians and administrators. His e-mail is ppolack@ocalaeye.com