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ICD-10 readiness for IBC-participating facilities

December 1, 2011

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IBC is keeping providers informed about our transition to the new ICD-10 code sets and is actively looking to obtain feedback from facilities and providers about their plans to comply with the mandate.

On October 5 and October 11, 2011, IBC hosted focus groups to discuss the ICD-10 transition. ICD-10 representatives from IBC-participating facilities were invited to participate in a lunchtime discussion where they shared their plans and challenges while preparing for the transition.

There were a number of common challenges discussed among the focus group attendees that each facility is facing while preparing for the transition to the new code sets. A few of those challenges include:

  • assessment and implementation of staff resources needed for various ICD-10 work streams;
  • assessment of the financial impact involved with upgrading systems and processes;
  • physician education and adoption of increased specificity for clinical documentation;
  • coder retention, training, and certification in ICD-10.

Feedback received from the focus groups determined that IBC facilities are in various stages of ICD-10 readiness, ranging from assessing the impact of ICD-10 to systems and processes (e.g., working with a vendor to perform gap analyses), to beginning work on the required changes (e.g., working with a practice management software vendor to ensure systems are ICD-10 compliant).

IBC plans to host follow-up ICD-10 focus groups in early 2012 to monitor the progress of facility ICD-10 readiness and to continue to share information that may be helpful for overcoming additional challenges.

ICD-10 cash flow tips by Wells Fargo

The financial impact of ICD-10 is one of the many shared concerns of facilities and providers. In an effort to address some of the financial impacts of the transition, Wells Fargo created ICD-10 cash flow tips for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Visit www.himss.org and search "Wells Fargo" for a PDF of the tip sheet.

Countdown to ICD-10

Begin the countdown to the ICD-10 implementation date of October 1, 2013, by downloading an ICD-10 countdown clock to your facility or provider office website. Visit www.aapc.com/ICD-10/widgets/add-countdown-widget.aspx to download the free ICD-10 countdown clock created by the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC). You can also download an ICD-10 timeline widget by visiting www.cms.gov/ICD10/03_ICD-10andVersion5010ComplianceTimelin es.asp. The timeline widget, created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is available for free download to your desktop or mobile device. The timeline widget also can be shared by email, social media channels, and/or embedded on your office website.

For more information about IBC's transition to ICD-10, visit www.ibx.com/icd10 .

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