ICD-10 Implementation Dealine: Repeal of Omabacare and Affordable Care Act is a Separate Issue

ICD-10 implementations must move forward despite Presidential campaign promises to repeal 'Omabacare' or the Affordable Care Act. As Business Week pointed out this week, repealing the Accountable Care Act is not that easy. And even if it were repealed ICD-10 is a HIPAA mandate that was enacted prior to President Omaba's election in August 2008. Hospital systems should push ahead on ICD-10 Assessments, ICD-10 Implementation Plans, and get ready for the shift to ICD-10-CM which includes many more diagnosis codes than ICD-9. ICD-10 PCS also include many more procedure codes than ICD-9.

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ICD-10 Readiness Compromised by ICD-10 Revenue Cycle, Analytics Vendors

We find that most analytics and revenue cycle companies are ignoring the future role coordinated medical coding will have, the transition to ICD-10, and the clinical documentation and processes on the revenue cycle. The ICD-10 transition will re-write the book on revenue cycle management (RCM). RAC audits and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) will be subject to a new paradigm with ICD-10.

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ICD-10 Transition Training and Consulting – Speaking from Experience

ICD-10 assessments should start with a thorough understanding of how to communicate, educate, train at all levels. Here are some topics our team can speak to for your organization including “ICD-10 Organization Strategy” and “ICD-10 and Business Continuity Planning” We have given many presentations throughout the US in the past year.

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ICD-10 Implementation and Risk Planning

ICD-10 implementations, ICD-10 implementation consulting and ICD-10 risk management have been more popular topics on our blog so I am sharing an excerpt of slides I prepared for a recent industry conference near Washington DC the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI).

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Global Lessons: Planning and Preparation are Keys to ICD-10 Success

Here is a summary of lessons learned from the Canadian experience with ICD-10 implementations and also importantly where the two implementations differ.

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EHR Interoperability Standards

Electronic Health Records (EHR) or Electronic Medical Records (EMR) integration approaches depend on the strategy and priority in exchanging patient information between various healthcare applications, and the standards available:

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Medical Loss Ratio Provision of the Affordable Care Act – Less For ICD-10 and Other Reform Issues

on November 22, 2010 the Obama Administration's regulation implementing new standards for the “medical loss ratio” provision of the Affordable Care Act will make the insurance industry more transparent and is intended to enable consumers to purchase health insurance that provide more value for every dollar paid for premiums.

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ICD-10 Implementation Contention – Only 55 Hospitals in the U.S. Are at Stage Seven for Electronic Health Records

ICD-10 implementations have competition for resources within hospitals.  According to HIMSS Analytics, Stage seven healthcare organizations support the true sharing and use of patient data that ultimately improves process performance, quality…

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ICD-10 Implementation and Medical Management are Co-mingled with Revenue Cycles

Implementing ICD-10 is more than just IT. Medical management under ICD-10 will require a new view of clinical data and an audit trail from ICD-9 to ICD-10. An ICD-10 assessment from a knowledgeable company can help show where opportunities are for your company.

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ICD10 – Don’t Delay, Make Sure You Do an Assessment

Many providers and hospitals are putting off ICD-10 conversions, because they are already struggling with EHR and meaningful use. Funding is another challenge. Durel has heard from people who don't think ICD-10 is a big deal. He thinks otherwise. "... if you don't get it right, you're not going to get any bills out after Oct. 1, 2013," Durel said.

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