Home Health Care Delivery

ICD-10: CMS May Delay, But You Shouldn’t  

April 11, 2012 - On April 9, the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced a proposed rule that would, among other things, push back the required compliance of ICD-10 codes by one year—from October 1, 2013 to October 1, 2014. This move comes after physician practices expressed serious concerns about their ability to meet the 2013 compliance date.

So what should practices do in the meantime? MSMS encourages physicians and medical office staff to use the extra time to prepare and fully test their systems to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition to these new code sets. To that end, MSMS offers a course designed to prepare your practice for this move: ICD-10-CM Transitioning Tips & Troubleshooting. Upcoming dates:

--Tuesday, April 24, 1:00–4:00 p.m., at Hilton Garden Inn in Novi
--Thursday, June 7, 1:00–4:00 p.m., at Hilton Garden Inn in Novi

To register, contact the MSMS Registrar at 517-336-5785 or registration@msms.org, or visit www.msms.org/eo.

Need one-on-one assistance with the transition? Let MSMS Reimbursement Advocate Stacie Saylor, CPC—a free and invaluable resource to MSMS members and their staff—help you troubleshoot any concerns or questions you have. Contact her at 517-336-5722 or ssaylor@msms.org.

The transition from approximately 13,000 to nearly 70,000 diagnosis codes would require physicians to replace or revamp software systems, retrain staff, conduct detailed testing with payers, and make numerous other changes. MSMS is one of 110 medical organizations that signed onto to a letter recently sent by the AMA to CMS, urging the agency to re-evaluate the burdensome penalties and overlapping deadlines for its numerous new programs, including ICD-10. Years ago when ICD-10 was first announced, MSMS launched an aggressive grassroots action campaign for physicians to contact CMS, and was instrumental in pushing the original 2011 implementation date back to 2013.

Read the proposed rule>>
Learn the facts>>

Comments are due to CMS 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

For more information, contact MSMS Reimbursement Advocate Stacie Saylor, CPC, at 517-336-5722 or ssaylor@msms.org.