In August 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officially delayed ICD-10 implementation by one year from October 1, 2013, to October 1, 2014. To help providers get ready for the switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10, the California Medical Association (CMA) will present a three-part webinar to get provider’s staff up-to-speed on the new system of coding.
The International Classification of Disease tenth revision (ICD-10) is a system of coding created in 1992 as the successor to the previous ICD-9 system. ICD-10 will include new procedures and diagnoses, which HHS hopes will improve the quality of information available for quality improvement and payment purposes.
In March 2012, the California Medical Association (CMA), along with other medical associations, authored a letter to acting HHS administrator Marilyn B. Tavenner, pleading for some relief for physicians who must implement ICD-10 in their practices.
CMA is concerned that the timing, with the concurrent implementation of other programs – such as the value-based modifier, electronic prescribing, physician quality reporting and electronic health record programs – creates an extraordinary financial and administrative burden and could result in mass confusion for physicians.
HHS last week denied all requests for an additional delay, stating that there was enough evidence that most providers would be ready to implement the system by 2014.
The differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10 are significant. Physicians and practice management staff need to start educating themselves now about this major change so that they will be able to meet the October 1, 2014, compliance deadline.
To help physicians prepare for the ICD-10 conversion, CMA has partnered with AAPC to provide a three-part webinar series, called Essentials for ICD-10-CM. The webinars will give physicians and their office staff fundamental knowledge of ICD-10, including documentation challenges, the differences with ICD-9 and how ICD-10 will affect each medical business.
The first webinar in the series will be held March 7, 2013. There will be two opportunities that day to addend: 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. or 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. This series continues on March 14 and 21. The cost for all three webinars is $99.95 for members and $299.95 for nonmembers.
Staff must attend all three sessions to earn total of 3 CEU (for medical office staff only).
Contact: CMA Member Help Center, (800) 786-4262 or memberservice@cmanet.org.