PBN Minute - Up to the minute information for your financial success

	Up to the minute information for your financial success.	January 28, 2011 To ensure you receive future Minutes, click this link. *To ensure you don't, click here to opt out.*
	ICD-10 : A Practical Guide to Conversion: Part II: Making a Plan I t seems obvious to most of us with some technical understanding of medical coding and billing, that ICD--10 conversion requires a lot of planning. But, either because they don't understanding of the complexity involved, the effort required, or the importance of this change, many organizations have set off to convert to ICD-10 without a clear plan, instead just delegating the responsibility as just another administrative task to one individual or small task force. And since the changes required are likely to cut across several functions within and outside your organization, getting done in time will require higher level planning, budgeting, training and buy-in at all levels. It all begins with a plan. First, Get Organized! Assign a Team Leader. Ideally, the team leader should already understand and be indvolved in coding or working with your third-party coder. The Conversion Team leader should serve as a "point person" for all things ICD-10, and be prepared to communicate with all other interested parties inside and outside your organization. ICD-10 should be this employee's primary focus until after the conversion, and he or she should have the authority to allocate needed resources and reassign duties as needed during the conversion. Second, Make a Plan and Line up Your Resources. Your timeline should reflect CMS' published deadlines: http://www.cms.gov/ICD10/03_ICD-10andVersion5010ComplianceTimelines.asp. CMS has stated repeatedly that they do not plan to extend the deadlines and has stated flatly, "if you're not ready, you won't be paid." Your plan should include (at a minimum) deadlines and resource assignments for completing each of these planning steps (outlined in greater detail on the CMS website): Identify all systems and work processes that use ICD-9 codes. According to CMS, "it is likely that wherever ICD-9 codes now appear, ICD-10 codes will take their place." Talk with billing and practice management vendors to make sure they are ready and can coordinate their billing and management practices with your services. Review contracts to see if upgrades are included as part of your agreement.* If you are purchasing or switching practice management companies ask if they are Version 5010 and ICD-10 ready.* Ask about plans for the Version 5010 and ICD-10 compliance, and when you will be able test their systems for both transitions.* Talk with payers about how ICD-10 implementation might affect your contracts. Because ICD-10 codes are much more specific than ICD-9 codes, payers may modify terms of contracts, payment schedules, or reimbursement.* Identify potential changes to existing and planned work flow and business processes. Plan for training to be completed at least at least 6 months prior to the October 1, 2013 compliance date. Identify and schedule training for taff in your office who code, or have a need to know the new codes. Create a budget that outlines ICD-10 implementation costs for each step listed. Plan to conduct test transactions using Version 5010 codes well before the January 1, 2012 deadline and ICD-10 codes well before the October 2013 deadline * PBN has been fully prepared for ICD 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 contracts review and payment schedule negotiation services to its clients. We specialize in ICD-10 contract terms updates. Third, Plan to: Track Your progress; Modify Your Plan; Plan for Plan B. Use a project planning tool like Microsoft Project--it's worth the investment and makes an excellent communications tool. As deadlines approach, if you're not on track, measure the cost of applying additional resources against losses such as not getting paid anything by Medicare or Medicaid. If the effort begins to look like its beyond your capabilities, consider hiring a third-party to help. You don’t have to do it all on your own. Third party vendors (including billing 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, All content © 2011 Physicians Business Network \| 10950 Grandview Suite 200 Overland Park, KS 66210 \| 800.288.4901 \| pbnmed.com Opt-in to subscribe. \| Opt-out to unsubscribe.	Inside the It's a rare thing . . . Rarely do public agencies work as hard to make sure its constituents are prepared for change as CMS has for the upcoming ICD-10 and 5010 conversions. Besides the many other resources (check the last issue of The PBN Minute for a summary), CMS recently launched a new website, www.getready5010.org and has published an excellent webinar series to help you “Get Ready.” Also rare is the kind of cooperation between professional organizations and public agencies that made these resources possible (full disclosure: I have been a member for years and was appointed to the executive board of the HBMA in December --HBMA is one of the new site's sponsors). If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some help getting started with the change, check out the Get Ready website . . . . . . or feel free to call for a one-on-one discussion. We can help. — Jud Jud Neal, PBN President & CEO Coming Next Month . . . ICD-10: A Practical Guide to Conversion: Part III - Communication Visit us online at the new PBNMed.com.

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