Tom Sullivan
It's no secret that the government mandated dynamic duo - that being HIPAA 5010 and ICD-10 - requires changes enormous in both number and scope. What's not as well understood is all the challenges they present.
Any time a transition is widely likened to Y2K, misconceptions are bound to crop up - and a number of myths typically sprout. ICD-10 is by no means exempt from such chaos. And so it's time to kill the most prominent of those myths at the root.
When President Barack Obama talks about creating more jobs for the citizenry he doesn't frequently mutter the letters “ICD” followed by the number “10,” but some experts in the thick of healthcare are starting to view the conversion as a way to employ more Americans.
CMS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, along with CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, proposed that both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS code sets be frozen two years before the compliance deadline.
If you're looking for that clinching reason to finally kickstart the sprawling ICD-10 conversion, here it is: The longer you wait, and the nearer the deadline draws, the harder it may be to recruit workers with ICD-10 expertise.
When U.S. President Barack Obama talks about creating more jobs for his citizenry he doesn't frequently mutter the letters “ICD” followed by the number “10,” but some experts in the thick of healthcare are starting to view the conversion as a way to employ more Americans.
The time has to come for healthcare organizations to decide whether they will pursue ICD-10 as a strategic initiative or backburner the conversion until it ultimately drains resources, financial and otherwise, just to meet the federal mandate. That’s how the experts see it.
ICD-10 Watch community site editor Tom Sullivan speaks with Kathy DeVault, a professional practice manager at AHIMA, to discuss what the United States can learn from other countries that have already adopted ICD-10, the reasons we won't have a single coding system, and why healthcare organizations should not rely too heavily on their vendors for the ICD-10 conversion.