Ten Last-Minute Resources for ICD-10

It is ICD-10 eve.

For days, weeks, months, and years, healthcare providers, payers, and stakeholders alike have been waiting for the day where ICD-10 would be the official coding standard in the U.S. There will be no more delays, tomorrow is that day.

Physician practices that are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and relax. It will be OK. Your friends at Physicians Practice are here to help.

Over the past few months, our contributors have produced countless articles on the ICD-10 transition. As you scramble to get your practice ready for the midnight switchover, here are 10 of those articles, all of which can help guide you. Good luck!

1. The first thing you should do is download the ICD-10 readiness checklist. Blogger Rachel V. Rose noted in her Sept. 10, 2015 blog that having this checklist "can reduce the anxiety of transitioning to ICD-10, work out any 'glitches' with EHR systems and CMS/claims clearinghouses, and reduce the risk of rejected claims."

2. The next thing you should do is check out Mary Jean Sage's slideshow on the key ICD-10-related changes for primary care. These are the diagnoses primary-care physicians should pay attention to in order to code correctly and get properly reimbursed.

3. In a similar vein, Avery Hurt produced a slideshow that explores the overall differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10. More codes. Check. More flexibility. Check. What else? Find out!

4. Over the summer, CMS and the AMA announced some plans that would allow providers flexibility when transitioning from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Just what does that entail? Rachel V. Rose's blog from July 23, 2015 has you covered.

5. After you are finished understanding the AMA and CMS' flexibility, find out what your non-clinical, non-coder staff should be focused on with ICD-10. Crystal Clack at AHIMA talks about training programs to get them up to speed.

6. If your staff is planning on working overtime to make sure your practice is up to speed on ICD-10, be sure to reward them for their efforts. One of our physician bloggers has a few ideas for you.

7. If you haven't done the research already, find out the effect ICD-10 will have on your revenue cycle. After Oct. 1, there is a lot you'll have to know to ensure the money doesn't stop flowing into your practice.

8. It's not just staff that will have to be ready. Your EHR is a big part of the ICD-10 transition. Here are specific EHR tips to ensure your system is ready for Oct. 1 and beyond.

9. You may have prepared all ends of your practice for this transition but that doesn't mean you have to like it. Well, you are not alone. Here are two anti ICD-10 rants from a couple of physician bloggers. You are not alone!

10. Last but not least, take a look at one of Jon Carter's ICD-10 caretoons. It's OK to laugh. It's just a coding standard. It's not life or death.

Happy Transition Day!

Gabriel S. Pernais the managing editor of Physicians Practice. Follow him on Twitter at @GabrielSPerna.