ICD-10 Procrastinator's Six-Month Timeline

If you've been hoping for another postponement in the implementation of the ICD-10 coding system, it looks like you are out of luck. As of right now, the deadline still stands. October is bearing down on us, and you've only six months to get ready.According to ICD-10 expert Ken Bradley, vice president of strategic planning and regulatory compliance at medical claims clearinghouse Navicure, surveys indicate that only 21 percent of practices are on track to be ready, but 81 percent believe they will be ready by October. That is putting a lot of faith in the magic of last-minute adrenalin. If you're in that 81 percent, here's what you need to do - and when - to make sure that optimism isn't unfounded.You'll probably notice that there are a lot of "nows" on this list. Yep, you've waited about as long as you can to get this show on the road. But there may be some advantages to being a procrastinator."I think that the larger health systems and bigger groups have already done a lot of testing, and we've seen the software mature and some potential problems addressed. Smaller practices will gain from that testing," said Bradley.But don't let that slow you down. October will be here before you know it. We mean it this time!To view the slides in PDF format, click here.