The content of healthcare claims is about to change very soon. ICD-9-CM Volumes I, II and III are going to be replaced by ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS. For billers in outpatient medical practices, the change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 will mean a complex shift in how medical information is reported to payment.
What is the difference between these two medical coding systems that medical practices rely on to be financially stable? Firstly, there are many, many more codes. ICD-9 contains approximately 13,000 codes, a daunting number to deal with already. ICD-10 will contain a total of approximately 68,000 available codes. ICD-9 coders and ICD-9 billers are professionally trained and certified to translate medical records into 13,000 codes. The complexity …show more content…
CMS has reported that it expects the transition for coding professionals already established in their field to be relatively trouble-free. There will have to be continuing education before, during, and after ICD-10 goes into effect. CMS’s expectation is that professionals who have already mastered ICD-9 will be able to grasp the underlying coding logic of ICD-10.
Professional medical billers are not waiting for October 1, 2014 for ICD-10 to go into effect. They are already becoming proficient in this new coding system preemptively. ICD-10 billing will be a valued skill that no outpatient practice can afford to be without. Once the new system goes into effect, there will not be time to catch up. One day, we will billing with ICD-9. After midnight, we will be billing with ICD-10. Anyone who has not mastered ICD-10 is going to lose revenue.
ICD-9 does not translate directly to ICD-10. While the two systems are similar, fundamental structural and directional emphases in the new codes require a comprehensive understanding of the medical documentation, billing, and compliance
What is the difference between these two medical coding systems that medical practices rely on to be financially stable? Firstly, there are many, many more codes. ICD-9 contains approximately 13,000 codes, a daunting number to deal with already. ICD-10 will contain a total of approximately 68,000 available codes. ICD-9 coders and ICD-9 billers are professionally trained and certified to translate medical records into 13,000 codes. The complexity …show more content…
CMS has reported that it expects the transition for coding professionals already established in their field to be relatively trouble-free. There will have to be continuing education before, during, and after ICD-10 goes into effect. CMS’s expectation is that professionals who have already mastered ICD-9 will be able to grasp the underlying coding logic of ICD-10.
Professional medical billers are not waiting for October 1, 2014 for ICD-10 to go into effect. They are already becoming proficient in this new coding system preemptively. ICD-10 billing will be a valued skill that no outpatient practice can afford to be without. Once the new system goes into effect, there will not be time to catch up. One day, we will billing with ICD-9. After midnight, we will be billing with ICD-10. Anyone who has not mastered ICD-10 is going to lose revenue.
ICD-9 does not translate directly to ICD-10. While the two systems are similar, fundamental structural and directional emphases in the new codes require a comprehensive understanding of the medical documentation, billing, and compliance