CMS released a new fact sheet in August, titled ICD-10-CM/PCS: An Introduction Fact Sheet. The new fact sheet includes information about the benefits of adopting the new coding system, structural differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS, and implementation planning recommendations. This new fact sheet is an update to a previous CMS fact sheet that was titled ICD-10-Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System Fact Sheet.

Of particular interest in the fact sheet is a section devoted to illustrating the differences between ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM when coding specific conditions, such as pressure ulcers, angioplasty, and others.
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The number of information systems and processes impacted by the switch to ICD-10 continues to grow. An Aug. 17th article published by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) notes how the switch to ICD-10 will require health plans need to revise their adjudication policies as they pertain to pre-existing conditions.

Health plans will need to change their diagnosis codes in their pre-existing tables to be compliant with ICD-10-CM. The article provides a thorough table that will help coders quickly look up the relevant ICD-10-CM codes for many pre-existing conditions, such as AIDS, psychiatric disorders, asthma, etc.
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The planning and implementation of ICD-10 is estimated to take almost 1,287 days for provider and payer organizations, with the implementation phase alone expected to take 966 days. As a result, organizations need to start their ICD-10 implementation efforts by Jan. 18, 2010 if they want to be ready by the Oct. 1, 2013 deadline. These estimates are according to the Timeline Initiative developed by the North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance (NCHICA) and the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI).

CMS has stated firmly that it does not intend to extend the ICD-10 deadline, and will offer no contingency period. Therefore, organizations need to have their planning efforts well underway, and should be ready to start implementation shortly after the new year.
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Two new ICD-10 resources are available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). One, titled "ICD-10-CM/PCS Myths & Facts," responds to some myths regarding the ICD-10-Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System. It can be downloaded as PDF here. One of the dispelled myths is the rumor that CMS plans to extend its ICD-10 compliance date.

The second resource is "ICD-10-CM-PCS Bookmark" (revised August 2009), which is designed to be printed and used as an actual bookmark. The piece provides information about the ICD-10-Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System. The bookmark provides a short synopsis of how to start preparing for ICD-10:
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The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) recommends that providers start their ICD-10 planning immediately, but advises organizations to carefully consider when they begin the coder training component of their overall plan. A recent article quotes an AAPC executive saying that small practices should not train their coders in the use of ICD-10 until six months before implementation. "If the practice begins training on the coding and does not use it for four years, retraining will need to occur," said Deborah Grider in the article, who is the vice president of strategic development at the AAPC.

In April, the AAPC published a five-year training plan for coders and physicians to learn ICD-10. The plan includes information about developing a budget, formulating a training plan, and discussing updates with software vendors. Details of the plan can be found here.
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Gartner recently released its Hype Cycle for Healthcare Payers, 2009 report (registration required), which includes a section detailing how payers should prepare for ICD-10. In general, Gartner states that "the number of health insurance companies addressing this challenge is increasing, but these efforts still lag as recognition of the problem grows."

According to the report, payers are initially treating their ICD-10 preparations as a mapping exercise using the General Equivalency Mapping (GEM) tables provided by CMS. The GEMs allows payers to convert and test systems, as well as link historically captured information with newly submitted information. However, payer preparations need to expand beyond these efforts, Gartner says, because specific mapping is impossible because of the significant variance in the number of codes in the two different ICD versions.
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Ingenix just posted registration for a new, complimentary webinar about ICD-10. Rather than speak to the gritty details of the new code set—as previous webinars have done—this webinar will providesan executive view of the implications of ICD-10. Tom Darr, M.D., the Ingenix Business Solutions Chief Medical Officer, will help executives understand the implications of ICD-10 across all areas of the enterprise and suggest action items for every step in the ICD-10 implementation process. Click here to register.

Although this blog focuses on ICD-10, it's appropriate for organizations to consider the significant advantages of tackling both ICD-10 and 5010 preparations with an integrated strategy. The deadlines for both ICD-10 and 5010 are quickly approaching, and organizations that have yet to begin their preparations are already falling behind.

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