The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched a free online resource called "Road to 10" to help small practices make the transition to ICD-10.
"This transition is going to change how you do business--from registration and referrals to superbills and software upgrades. But that change doesn't have to be overwhelming," its website reads.
"Road to 10" is designed to help practices create a custom action plan. It suggests concrete steps including planning, training, working with partners and testing. The tool includes clinical documentation primers for primary care as well as for family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, cardiology and orthopedics.
The website includes testimonials from physicians in various specialties and other resources, including webinars, frequently asked questions and charts highlighting the differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10.
CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner has stressed that the Oct. 1, 2014, deadline for implementing ICD-10 will not be pushed back further.
Seventy-four percent of physician practices responding to a survey released in January said they still haven't started implementing their ICD-10 transition plan, but they were upbeat about their prospects for meeting the deadline. Two-thirds anticipated cash flow interruptions, but far fewer anticipated similar impacts to staff productivity.
Implementing the new code set will cost more than previously estimated, the American Medical Association reported recently, and could lead to financial and information losses, according to a study published in the Journal of Oncology Practice.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago examined hematology-oncology diagnosis codes and raised concerns because previous research indicated that hematology-oncology will likely have an easier transition to ICD-10 compared to other sub-specialties.
To learn more:
- find "Road to 10"