Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Question: Now that the transition date for ICD-10 is set, how should we start preparing? What steps do we need to take to get ready for this major change in home health coding?

-- Vermont Subscriber

Answer: You can prepare for the ICD-10-CM transition in increments. You have time to prepare for ICD-10 before the October 1, 2013 implementation date. But you also have other changes for home health on the horizon, such as the transition to OASIS C, which will need to train for first.

You can safely wait until three to six months before the final implementation date to perform your complete training for ICD-10-CM. Two to three days of training should be enough for trained ICD-9 coders to learn what they need to know to make the transition.

If you're itching to get started, you can view the ICD-10 codes, at: www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/otheract/icd9/icd10cm.htm.