CMS, NCTracks Gearing Up for ICD-10 — And Want You To Join Them
Elaine Ellis
North Carolina Medical Society
RALEIGH, N.C. - The date for ICD-10 implementation is October 1, 2015, which is just around the corner. All indications are that implementation will not be delayed yet again, so please – get ready to transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10.
If you want some help counting down to ICD-10, there are timers you can download to your computer desktop. For instance both Free Countdown Timer and Time Left are free, and can help you stay on track.
The first step in your preparations may be simply to start asking questions. Is your practice management software vendor or trading partner/billing clearinghouse ready for ICD-10? Do physicians know what is expected of them? Are your coders trained in ICD-10?
If you’re a small practice or solo provider and would like a comprehensive overview of how to prepare for ICD-10, check out the “Road to 10″ on the web site of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
NCTracks offers Crosswalk, which will tell you what your ICD-10 codes will be based on the ICD-9 codes you currently use. The ICD-10 codes in the crosswalk are the ones that will be used in NCTracks when we switch to ICD-10 codes on October 1. Remember, a few non-specific ICD-9 codes don’t crosswalk – in either NCTracks or CMS’ crosswalk. If you enter a specific ICD-9 code and you don’t receive corresponding ICD-10 codes, contact NCTracks at NCTracks-Questioner@dhhs.nc.gov.
CMS also just released a video on how they’re planning for ICD-10: Medicare’s Testing Plan for ICD-10 Success: Run time: 7 minutes.
And mark your calendar for June 18 when CMS will host a National Provider Call in which subject matter experts will present strategies and resources to help you prepare. Registration is open.
Stay up to date on all the resources and help that is out there for you at the CMS ICD-10 website. Sign up for CMS ICD-10 Industry Email Updates and follow CMS on Twitter.