The clock is ticking…has your organization addressed these critical ICD-10 issues? Much of the conversation in the recent past on the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 has focused on the many new diagnostic codes. However, read below for seven commonly overlooked issues. With less than two years to have the process working effectively—ensure your organization has addressed all ICD-10 issues—whether you outsource the problems or not. The 7 most overlooked ICD-10 issues: Your system must be able to assign ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes as appropriate to the carrier, or you’ll need to run two different systems. Know who is capable of what coding system. Train both coders and non-coders on the new processes. When a claim transfers from Medicare to secondary insurance that is not capable of ICD-10, you won’t get paid. Have a contingency plan for getting claims processed correctly; all the while being aware that many insurance companies and medical entities are using "drop to paper" as their contingency plan. Will your clearinghouses be able to accept both ICD-9 and ICD-10 at the same time for at least six months of time to handle the transition? Have you tested your system and your clearinghouse(s) system for 5010? If you have not passed, you have a lot of scrambling to do. You may need to have a line of credit to keep your organization going financially while all the pitfalls are found and ironed out.
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