CMS is expected to provide ICD-10 implementation guidance in the near future, according to a Journal of AHIMA report.
The report provides coverage of comments from Denise Buenning, acting deputy director of the Office of E-Health Standards and Services at CMS, who spoke at the American Health Information Management Association’s recent ICD-10-CM/PCS and CAC Summit.
Buenning indicated that her agency was finalizing language that will explain exactly when providers must transition from the ICD-9 code set to the ICD-10 code set.
In the meantime, providers would be wise to use the delayed transition to their advantage, advised coding expert Rose T. Dunn at the meeting, according to a Physicians Practice report.
The four things she suggested practices do leading up to the Oct. 1, 2015, transition deadline were as follows:
- Completing ICD-10 system upgrades;
- Focusing on ailments or pre-identified weaknesses;
- Addressing physician documentation deficits; and
- Automating processes whenever possible.
There are many free resources available to assist providers in the transition, including fact sheets and checklists provided by CMS.
Several associations have also provided information on ICD-10, including the following:
- American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC)
- World Health Organization Electronic ICD-10 Training Tool
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In addition, practices and surgery centers would be wise to consider partnering with a cloud medical billing agency like PGM Billing. PGM, with more than 30 years of billing experience, has a team of certified, expert coders and billers dedicated to ensuring proper coding and maximum collections for its provider partners.