Education:
GET A HEAD START ON TRANSITION TO ICD-10
Published on Tue May 26, 2009
Map out your staff training on coding for the coming year. While Oct. 1, 2013 may seem like eons away, the amount of work ahead of you between now and then might be daunting. That's because you'll have to be ready to change from the ICD-9 diagnosis coding system that you've become accustomed to and start using the new ICD-10 system. The new edition of the diagnosis coding manual will expand the code set from 17,000 codes, which ICD-9-CM currently has, to over 155,000 codes, which ICD-10 will include. While there's still more groundwork to lay, it's not too early to start implementation planning and preparation--and to take advantage of the lead time. Currently, you should expend your resources on training the coder who will be your coding point of contact, and developing a transition plan, advised certified coder Jeanne Yoder in a recent Eli-sponsored audioconference, "ICD-10 Issues: Get Ready [...]
