Have a strategy for the ICD-10 transition

Key Points

No doubt by now you've seen some excellent materials available on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Web site ( http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ICD10) and through commercial vendors regarding the process of transitioning to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10).

Although the mandatory compliance date for implementation is October 1, 2013, you'll need to accomplish much between now and then to make documentation and diagnosis reporting as seamless as possible. With prior proper planning, you will have done everything possible to eliminate any slowdown in claims processing. By making everyone a member of the transition team and working together toward a common goal, you can eliminate the resistance sometimes encountered during times of significant change and ensure that your practice is ready for the transition.

Below are some common questions and answers regarding the transition, to provide some background and real-life examples of how the process will work and what you should do to prepare.

A: Some of the basic differences:

Q: Why the change?

A: Several reasons exist for the conversion:

Q: How will ICD-10-CM, PCS help?

A: ICD-10-CM will help in the following ways: