Must Have ICD-10 Checklist for Medical Practices

When it comes to ICD-10, medical practices must not simply take into account the new revisions. Instead, they must know them by heart and operate their medical facilities according to the new changes. There are more than 68,000 diagnostic codes found in the ICD-10, whereas there are only about 13,000 found in ICD-9. Because of the extensiveness of ICD-10, it is of paramount importance for medical practitioners to follow a ICD-10 checklist for medical practice.

Pinpoint the parts of your current system that use ICD-9

If certain work processes use ICD-9, they will most likely need to be updated to use ICD-10. Almost all parts of your medical facility will be affected by the new changes, including your clinical documentation, public health reporting, practice management, and much more.

Update your system to Version 5010

If you’re still operating under an old system, such as Version 4010/4010A, then you are operating according to practices that are not in compliance with ICD-10. You will need to have the system updated to Version 5010 instead, which accommodates all of the new codes.

Meet with a compliance specialist

It’s going to take time to make the switch to ICD-10 compliance. A compliance specialist can help you review each compliance step as well as develop a timeline for making any necessary changes.

Host a meeting

All medical and administrative workers need to be fully aware of how the new ICD-10 codes affect the practices of your medical facility. This is why you should host a meeting to discuss how compliance standards are being altered. More importantly, you can have a compliance specialist train your workers on how to make sure they meet compliance criteria.

Discuss implementation of ICD-10 with all appropriate vendors and clearinghouses

The best way to make the transition to ICD-10 is by starting now instead of later. You need to contact all companies that you do business with — billing service, clearinghouses, etc. — and let them know that you are switching to ICD-10 and that any future practices need to comply with ICD-10 standards. You’ll likely want to test the system before you actually transition, which will likely involve several test runs to fix any errors.

Review all contracts

There is a high likelihood that ICD-10 will influence the validity of your contracts. You may find that ICD-10 compliance is more expensive because it is much more complex and extensive than ICD-9. You will need to review how ICD-10 influences your contracts and whether or not any terms are going to change. The best way to do this is by reviewing the contract with the service provider.

Be prepared for change

ICD-10 will most definitely affect the way your medical facility operates. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will affect it in a negative way, though. In fact, ICD-10 compliance will help boost patient care. The important thing is to be ready for change because it is coming and you will probably have to initiate more compliance changes when ICD-11 is released in the future.

Create a budget

You might be able to qualify for certain grants relating to making the switch to ICD-10. Whether you qualify or not, though, you need to develop a budget for transitioning to the new revisions. This budget should allow funds to be put toward:

Training
Software updates
Reprinting of superbills

Make sure you don’t miss the ICD-10 transition deadline! Use the checklist above to start making the switch today.