ICD-10: Everything You Know Is About To Change

Just a heads up….

October 1, 2014 will bring drastic changes to your practice with the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10. The increase in coding will jump from 16,000 to 68,000 alone! All “covered entities” – as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) – are required to adopt ICD-10 codes for use in all HIPAA transactions with dates of service on or after the October 1, 2014, compliance date.

To avoid disruptions in your patient care and reimbursement, you must be ready. A successful transition from ICD-9 codes to ICD-10 codes will require significant planning. At minimum, your organization should consider the following:

• Ensure top leadership understands the scope and significance of the ICD-10 transition
• Assign responsibility and decision-making authority for managing the transition
• Plan a comprehensive and realistic budget
• Ensure involvement and commitment of all internal and external stakeholders, and
• Adhere to a well-defined timeline.