ICD-10
Now that ICD-10 is delayed until October 1, 2015, according to the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), healthcare providers who spent millions on training and preparation now must defer the ROI benefits for another 1-2 years. So where can providers see immediate financial benefits as payments transition from paper to electronic? Look to the Revenue Cycle!
Read MoreHave you heard the news? Again! ICD-10 is pushed back another year for implementation. Behind the controversy of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was a tsunami brewing within the healthcare industry. Many were concerned about the overhead and conversion costs, so pressure was building as the deadline was lurking in October 2014. It might have been another “Y2K”, in that proper planning and execution would have mitigated the risks and made the transition more like a little storm rather than a tsunami… but we will never know for 2014.
Read MoreFormer Health and Human Services Secretary and Governor of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson is interviewed by healthcare payments expert, Mark Brousseau, President of Brousseau & Associates in Q&A Session #6. ICD-10 is a diagnostic coding system implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1993 to replace ICD-9, which was developed by WHO in the 1970s. ICD-10 is in almost every country in the world, except the United States. When we hear “ICD-10” in the United States, it usually refers to the U.S. clinical modification of ICD-10: ICD-10-CM. This code set is scheduled to replace ICD-9-CM, our current U.S. diagnostic code set, on October 1, 2014.
Read MoreThe casual observer can be excused for believing that a single government web site represents the extent of healthcare technology. But behind the scenes, the following major technology trends will have a significant impact on the healthcare industry in 2014 and on revenue cycle management (RCM).
Read MoreAccording to a new survey by Black Book, the consulting business is booming in healthcare revenue cycle management; and rightly so! Challenges that executives cited for updating RCM projects include: 77 percent have not begun a strategic plan for transforming RCM solutions for known deadlines because of lack of internal experts to do so and 80 percent of CIOs said they do not have the IT staff in-house to transform RCM end-to-end.
Read MoreA recent survey on ICD-10 indicates that one-third of the 500 physician practices interviewed have not started compliance work yet. October 2014 is the implementation deadline, but how much time is really needed? Key highlights of the survey include: thirty-six percent of respondents who have not started ICD-10 preparations believe there is plenty of time to prepare, 26 percent don’t have the time, staff or training resources to start; and 22 percent don’t know where to start planning…
Read MoreThe HFMA conference brochure pretty much tells it all, “What Now?” The healthcare industry continues to evolve and converge around several critical pieces of legislation including ACA, EFT/ERA electronification and ICD-10. HFMA sessions look very interesting as they address many revenue related topics!
Read MoreIt’s a tough world out there for healthcare providers who are typically scrounging for 15-20% of their claims revenues which are either denied or incorrectly processed. ICD-10 is slowly approaching (10-1-2014), and with the number of codes jumping to 68,000 from the mere 14,000 of ICD-9, it made me wonder how much more difficult the billing and reconciling process may become for providers and patients as there are significant risks in this new process. Anne Smith, RN, principal and CEO of Fredrikson Healthcare Consulting, said, “while the biggest changes focus on code structure and conventions, it would be a mistake to assume only coders need training for the new system.“
Read MoreOne of the most significant changes to the American healthcare system since Medicare and Medicaid was proposed is the change from ICD-9 coding to ICD-10 coding. The World Health Organization (WHO) detailed ICD-9 standards over thirty years ago, but that coding system has run its course and is unable to accommodate advances in medicine that require additional coding numbers.
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