Home Health & Hospice Week

Tip: Practice ICD-10 coding, just not on your claims.

Question: Should we put both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes on our hospice claims now, since the second benefit period will start after Oct. 1?

Answer: “Medicare does not allow dual coding of ICD-9 and ICD-10 on claims submitted to Medicare,” warns HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor National Government Services in a recent question-and-answer set on the ICD-10 transition for hospices. “For all claims with a from DOS prior to 10/1/2015 — Use ICD-9 coding on claims and the NOE. Note that Hospice claims are always split by month; all claims with a from DOS on/after 10/1/2015 are coded with ICD-10.”

“Bottom line: It is the ‘from’ DOS on that claim that determines whether ICD-9 or ICD-10 is used,” NGS advises in the Q&As.

The MAC does encourage hospices to practice dual coding before the ICD-10 implementation date of Oct. 1, it adds. Just practice it by “performing a dual coding process in your documentation,” NGS advises.