Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Transition doesn’t end on October 1.

With a firm understanding of the ICD-9 to ICD-10 changes you can expect, like those outlined above, just what steps should your pathology practice be making now to make sure you have a smooth transition on October 1?

We have three expert tips for you to keep you on the right path before and during your ICD-10 implementation:

Tip 1: Focus on Education

When preparing for the imminent transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10, “education is the biggest thing,” stresses Angie Comfort, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, senior director of HIM Practice Excellence, Coding Services, for the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). 

Who should you train? Anyone who touches patient records or submits billing must be trained for ICD-10, Comfort says.

“The level of training would be based on the role the staff has as it relates to working with diagnoses coding,” notes Michelle Cavanaugh, RN, CPC, CANPC, CGIC, CPB, CMRS, an AHIMA-approved ICD-10 trainer and RCM manager at Kareo. 

Clearly that means coding and billing staff, but you shouldn’t stop there. Ultimately, the responsibility for coding accurately for the patient’s condition rests on the physician. That means your pathologists must understand what new information they need to document in their reports to allow compliant ICD-10 diagnosis coding. “Taking the time to learn the new coding system as it relates to their specialty will benefit them in the long run,” Cavanaugh says 

Tip 2: Practice Dual Coding

Try “dual coding” claims using both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, for extra coding practice between now and October, Comfort suggests. If you’re able to and have the time, you might consider practicing dual coding a couple hours once per week. Start with your most common condition codes, based on your practice mix. For instance, you might start by dual coding all neoplasm cases and Pap tests, if those represent a large percentage of your pathology work.

Beware efficiency: You should keep track of the time it takes to code records using ICD-10, to determine if there’s a decline in coding productivity, Comfort says. 

Loss of productivity during the initial implementation period is a big concern for practices. That’s why you should plan a budget focused on the 2015 fourth quarter “to allow for a dip in productivity and the unknown about how smoothly the claims are going to be adjudicated after Oct. 1,” Cavanaugh says.

Tip 3: Watch Claims Results

Once October 1 passes you by, your ICD-10 transition work isn’t over. At that point, you need to start monitoring all your claims to make sure your payers are reimbursing them correctly. With this major transition, you “must be more diligent about monitoring claims,” Comfort advises.