ICD-10 Tips for Procrastinators Save

On October 1st, your coding memory will be getting a big and unwelcomed upgrade.

Even if the goverment shuts down, ICD-10 implementation goes forward.

Below are several sources to review what's ahead and what you should be focused on at this point.

• Set expectations and start wth what you have. You can estimate that under ICD-9, 20 codes accounted for nearly 80% of the codes submitted. The remaining were filled in by either your EMR, "cheat sheet" listing of most common codes, or memory.  The same will apply to ICD-10, but the numbers will be amplified.
• Rely on your EMR: many of these systems will have already loaded the codes for you. While the new coding system is quite complex, the majority of diagnoses that you will use will still be limited.
• Find a "Cheat Sheet" and customize or develop it.
• Go to the ACR and other societies for support: education and support materials  http://buff.ly/1Wt0zyy
• Practice: You and your coders should start practicing with ICD-10 codes as soon as possible. It can take as long as six months to get fully comfortable with the new system.
• Meet: Gather for regular meetings. This gives your coders the opportunity to discuss new codes and how best to integrate them with practice activities. 
• Download ICD-10 converters: Download several ICD-9/ICD-10 crosswalks to begin learning how the old codes are connected to the new ones.  Try http://buff.ly/1YK1dKj
• Outsource: If you’re really overwhelmed, consider outsourcing your coding needs for at least the first several months.  Or engage a consultant to help you wade through the transition.
• Talk: Have an open conversation with your payers to determine their level of readiness. You need to know if they’re prepared to accept ICD-10 claims and whether you’ll receive your reimbursement on time.

Other suggestions from MiraVista:

• Focus on highest and best use for your resources. 
• Scale down where you can. Medicare requires that a valid ICD-10 code be present in order for claims to transmit. If your claim has four ICD-9 codes that need to be mapped, then place your most relevant code in the first position and eliminate the other non-priority codes.
• Grab that low hanging fruit first. There are two types of ICD-9 codes: (1) those that map neatly to one single code in the ICD-10 code set, and (2) those that map to multiple codes in the ICD-10 code set. Prioritize the one-to-one maps first as they are the most straight forward and require no digging in medical records.
• Leverage the tools available to you. Not sure which codes map to which? The AAPC translator tool is an excellent resource to identify potential matches for your ICD-9 codes. This tool allows you to plug in a single ICD-9 code to identify potential ICD-10 matches.
• Prepare your team. Claims that do not contain compliant codes after the ICD-10 deadline will be REJECTED. ICD-10 rejections will appear with Claims Status Category Code (CSCC) A7 (Acknowledgement/Rejection for Invalid Information) and will be accompanied by one or more of the following Claims Status Codes (CSCs) below:

Issue: The ICD-10 code is not a valid ICD-10 code or is not valid for the Date of Service reported.
CSC 254: Primary Diagnosis Code AND
CSC 255: Diagnosis Code

Issue: Diagnosis code must not contain a decimal
CSC 511: Invalid Character and CSC 254: Primary Diagnosis Code OR
CSC 511: Invalid Character and CSC 255: Diagnosis Code

Issue: ICD-10 codes that begin with letter “V”, “W”, “X”, or “Y” are not allowed.
CSC 254: Primary Diagnosis Code AND
CSC 509: E-Code

Issue: Cannot have both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes on the same claim. If principle diagnosis code is an ICD-9 code the subsequent diagnosis codes must be an ICD-9 code. Likewise if the principle diagnosis code is an ICD-10 code the subsequent diagnosis codes must be an ICD-10 code.
CSC 255: Diagnosis Codes

Citation source http://buff.ly/1YK1WuR