October 1, 2013: Will You Be Ready?

The ICD-10 compliance deadline is October 1, 2013, which may seem too far in the future to even think about – especially with electronic health record (EHR) implementation and meaningful use also demanding a significant amount of time and resources. No need to worry, though, the Wisconsin Medical Society has the subject matter expertise to guide physicians and their staffs through the transition.

ICD-10 is not simply an update to a code-set; ICD-10 will touch every element of health care, including information technology, information systems, revenue cycle, coding and billing, documentation, quality reporting, contracting, accounting and much more. It is critical that health care organizations start planning for implementation if they haven’t already done so.

By starting to plan now, health care organizations will experience a smoother transition and will reap the many benefits of ICD-10. Like many changes, however, the benefits listed below along with many others may not be immediately realized.

• The conversion will allow for inclusion of new procedures and technologies without disrupting the structure of the code-set.
• It is expected that the number of denied claims will go down based on reporting with increased granularity.
• The code-set will improve population identification and should enhance disease management and wellness programs.
• Improved reimbursement rates and incentive payment for pay-for-performance initiatives also are anticipated due to more appropriate payments and fewer miscoded and rejected claims.

The key to a successful transition is getting started NOW, creating a realistic budget and planning for implementation by a cross-functional team. The Society and its highly experienced ICD-10 trainers are ready to assist.

Additional ICD-10 Resources

• AAPC
• AHIMA
• AMA
• CMS
• HIMSS
• WEDI
• WICD-10
• WHIMA

Know your Society educators

Society staff is ready to customize ICD-10 training to meet your specific needs. For a custom quote, call 866.442.3820 or e-mail Penny Osmon

Penny Osmon, CHC, CPC, CPC-I, PCS
Director of Educational Strategies
Penny has more than 15 years of health care experience in Medicare compliance, coding and practice management. She currently presents educational programs on revenue cycle, health information and risk management for physician practices throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest with an emphasis on reducing waste, mitigating risk and improving quality. A Professional Medical Coding Curriculum Instructor, Penny is a founding member of the Wisconsin ICD-10 Partnership and an AAPC-approved ICD-10-CM trainer. She is certified in health care compliance through the Health Care Compliance Association and serves on the Wisconsin Medical Group Management Association Third Party Payer and Medicare and Medicaid Workgroups.

Nicole Middleton, RHIA, CCS
AHIMA Certified ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Trainer
Nicole is a graduate of Florida A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in health information management. With more than 10 years of experience, she has served in several roles in the field from documentation improvement specialist to coding educator. She is currently an adjunct instructor at Rasmussen College, and she is a certified ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS trainer through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Jen Cohrs, CPC, CPMA, CGIC
Coding and Reimbursement Educator
With more than eight years of practical experience in health care, including five years dedicated to the billing and coding field, Jen became a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) in 2007. She quickly followed with a specialty credential in gastrointestinal coding and medical record auditing. Jen is passionate about excellence in health information and enjoys the many challenges of coding and billing. She is motivated to tackle the ever-changing world of health care and is looking forward to leading others in her profession into ICD-10 coding.