General Surgery Coding Alert

Remember to factor productivity loss into your budget. The clock is ticking for the Oct. 1, 2014 ICD-10 implementation date -- do you have a plan to get ready? Before you panic, check out this "how-to" advice to prepare for a smooth transition: Take One Step at a Time "Education and patience are key," says Ginger Boyle, M.D., a practicing physician during a CMS National Provider Call entitled, "Preparing Physicians for ICD-10 Implementation." This presentation breaks down your ICD-10 transition into the following six phases: Planning Communication and awareness Assessment Operational implementation Testing Transition. In other words: To begin, you should establish the project structure, responsible parties, and highlight physician and coding champions who can be assets. You should also establish the budget. Be sure to include software upgrades, training needs, and productivity loss/gain. Then, you should talk to all those involved, which may include office administrative staff, vendors, providers, clearinghouses, [...]