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February 24, 2011

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ICD-10 : A Practical Guide to Conversion: Part III: Communication

I f you're part of a team challenged with ICD-10 conversion in your organization, the good news is that much of the guidance and materials you'll need along the way has already been developed.  You'll still need to decide how the supplied materials apply within your organization and customize things to fit, but everything you need--from planning tools and examples, comprehensive training tools to required testing parameters and more--is now developed and supplied, for free.

(We've posted and will keep updated a short list of the best ICD-10 conversion information, guidance and tools at pbnmed.com/ICD-10 .)

Customized Communications

Of all the items requiring customization, the one that's most critical and that will take the most effort is communications. You'll need to include strategic communications with all the "players" that 5010 and ICD-10 conversions affect directly and indirectly, inside and outside your organization.

First, Assign an ICD-10 Communications Coordinator for your team.  Ideally, the communications coordinator should have a background in some form of professional communications (PR, Communications Manager, etc.) plus a sufficient technical background to understand the overall conversion process and communications needs of the rest of the team. Minimally, this person will need the written and verbal skills to communicate effectively to people across your organization, with your vendors, payors, and other business people.

Second, Make a Communications Plan and integrate it within the overall strategic plan discussed in Part II: Planning .  Plan for the following communications (minimally):

• Internal Communications - Internal parties need to understand the significance of the conversion effort.  You need to effectively communicate: "what's at stake," "what it will take," and "how it might affect you and your department."

• Vendor Communications - Vendors need to know that you expect them to be prepared, when and how your organization is preparing, and when they can expect to conduct testing with your system(s). Conversely, you need to know from your vendors exactly what they're doing to prepare for ICD-10,* when they plan to be ready, and whether there will be any cost to your organization.   
  
  Minimally, plan to communicate with Practice Management Systems Vendors, Clearinghouses, and Revenue Cycle Management (Billing) Vendors.

• Payor Communications -  You'll need to communicate to and elicit the same information from your payors, plus discuss * * whether your contracts will need to be renegotiated (which they almost certainly will since ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes do not translate 1:1).

* PBN has been fully prepared for ICD-10 and 5010 conversion since 2008 and is ready to work with its clients with advance testing, training, planning, and payor code compliance negotiations . . . right now.  (No extra charge.)

 

** PBN regularly offers contract review and payment schedule negotiation services to its clients.  We specialize in negotiating ICD-10 contract terms updates.

You don’t have to do it all on your own. Third party vendors (including revenue cycle and practice management companies like PBN) can help you get up to speed quickly.

To find out how PBN can help your practice move forward with ICD-10, contact . . .

PBN Business Development, 800.288.4901 or  [email protected]

All content © 2011 Physicians Business Network | 10950 Grandview Suite 200
Overland Park, KS 66210 | 800.288.4901 | pbnmed.com

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Inside the

It's Time to Get Serious . . .  

In last month's PBN Minute, we pointed out that CMS has repeatedly stated that their currently published deadlines are final and that "if you're not ready, you won't get paid."

We have known it was coming since at least 1993.  Most of the rest of the world implemented it a long time ago.  The implementation deadline has already been pushed back (originally, it was set for October of this year).  CMS and several other organizations have provided an unprecedented number of free publications, websites and other tools to help providers get ready for the transition.  

(We've posted a short list of the most helpful ICD-10 conversion tools we know of on our website.)

So, from a regulatory point of view, we don't have any excuses left, even though several surveys, released as recently as this Gartner Survey carried out for CMS and other surveys published in October by H&HN and CHIME paint a picture of an industry short on the resources and business will to comply.  (According to these surveys, some 55 - 62% of hospitals haven't even put together a team to address the conversion.)

As ever, those who buckle down and do the work will reap the greatest rewards. It's time to get serious about it or be ready to go to "Plan B."

Whether you're a current PBN client or not, we'd be happy to help you get started.

Feel free to call for a free one-on-one consultation.

We can help.

— Jud

Jud Neal, PBN President & CEO

Coming Next Month . . .

ICD-10: A Practical Guide to Conversion: Part IV - Training Requirments

Visit us online at the new PBNMed.com.