There are many things practices need to get right this year in order to be successful, but what are the ICD-10 top priorities for practices in 2015? The potential for failure to successfully convert to ICD-10 is high and the consequences of that failure could stop cash flow to your practice. Am I trying to scare you? You bet!! The likelihood of another delay is slim, the stakes are high, and the whole of healthcare will feel the impact of this conversion.

The number one thing your practice should be focused on is testing; testing and more testing. Within the organization someone should be looking at hundreds of encounters asking “does the documentation support the new codes.” Feedback to physicians, nurses, PA’s and NPs is critical to this process. Then more follow-up and more testing. Coders who have no doubt been to advanced classes in anatomy and physiology should be scrutinized for accuracy. You outsource coding? all the more reason for scrutiny. Every surgical specialty should be particularly alert to coding as it is their primary revenue stream. Someone should also be looking at forms internally. What forms use codes? How are you going to take a ICD-9 code that potentially splits into 10 codes and continue to use the form? What are the alternatives to printing codes on forms? What about portable digital devices? How can you position your organization to take real advantage of digital technology with ICD-10? What about between systems? Hardware capabilities, software capabilities, can systems interact successfully?

Externally, between the billing system and the carrier systems there should be many many scenarios tested and re-tested. Between the EHR and the billing system, between the scheduling system and the billing system, between the registration system and the EHR and the billing system, and the list goes on and on.

Need help defining readiness? Need to be sure your systems are ready? Need to be sure your providers are ready? Need to be sure YOU are ready?

There is still time to get it right, but it requires focus and attention to details. Download the MMS whitepaper on ICD-10 or give us a call. We will make sure you can be sure!