An Article on ICD-10 We Wanted to Share

Posted by Allison on Wed, Sep 02, 2015 @ 05:01 PM

Have insurers established ICD-10 accommodation periods?

Most are mum about plans as deadline draws near

As the Oct. 1 ICD-10 deadline inches closer, many insurers haven't announced whether they have implemented accommodation periods--when they will pay claims that aren't coded correctly as long as they're in the right family of codes, reports Health Data Management.

After Health Data Management contacted seven national insurers, as well as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and America's Health Insurance Plans to learn about their ICD-10 contingency plans, only Humana, Aetna and AHIP responded and none actually addressed whether they had accommodation periods prepared.

Medicare said in July that it reached an agreement with the American Medical Association that it won't deny or audit claims based solely on the specificity of diagnosis codes for the first year after ICD-10 useFierceHealthIT previously reported.

Although private insurers aren't announcing their ICD-10 contingency plans, they're likely still planning to offer some similar concessions to providers. But they don't want make these plans public so providers and vendors continue working to prepare for the ICD-10 compliance date, Pat Kennedy, president of PJ Consulting Inc., which specializes in electronic data interchange and insurers, told HDM.

Kennedy said he expects insurers to announce their accommodation periods within the next month. Part of the concessions they will offer will likely include extra staff to help make the transition to ICD-10 smooth.

He added that large insurers will probably be working hard to accommodate providers for at least six months.

"This is a tough one, tougher than anything we've ever had to do, and the payers and vendors know that," Kennedy said.

To learn more:
- read the Health Data Management article

 

Tags: healthcare, ICD10, healthIT, Scribe, Medical Scribes

ICD-10 On the Radar: It's Time to Get Ready

Posted by Allison on Sun, Mar 15, 2015 @ 11:50 PM

ICD-10 is really here. Yes, for real. After three delays and much discussion and deliberation, ICD-10 is near. 

This October ICD-10 will really happen. Here's the deal: 

  1. The ICD-10 deadline was first set for October 2011, then for October 2013, then for October 2014. 
  2. But, it seems that the fourth time just might be the charm. 
  3. Recent proceedings in the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on ICD-10 featured seven witnesses, with only one of these witnesses opposing the transition to the new code set. 
Another Matrix Code v2 0 by luttman23
This hearing was preceded by the publication of a Government Accountability Report that determined that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken positive steps to help the healthcare industry prepare for the switch to ICD-10. Despite delays and opposition, the switch to ICD-10 is on its way due to government activity this time around. ICD-10 has been included i another doc-fix bill, and lawmakers will be on record this time around as having discussed ICD-10. But, why do some people still raise concerns and oppose the switch to ICD-10? Some concerns, which are valid, center around encountering obstacles following the transition to ICD-10, especially barriers related to practice management since medical practices are not one-size-fits-all. Related to these concerns are questions related to scope and size of medical practices and new requirements mandated by government legislation.
 
ICD-10Watch author Carl Natale had some key comments on this topic, explaining that if Congress were to find a way to fund implementation costs for small medical practices and independent physicians, than the transition wouldn't be nearly as much of an issue. 

Tags: healthcare, ICD10, EMRs, healthIT, Medical Scribes

Could EMRs Save Health Care? Is a Medical Scribe the Answer?

Posted by Allison Dewan on Wed, Dec 10, 2014 @ 11:13 AM

A recent article in the Houston Business Journal, titled, "How EMRs will save health care" looks at some of the benefits of EMRs and how the technology is aiding many in the healthcare industry. 

 One physician group, the Southeast Texas Medical Associates LLP, was featured in the article as an example of a physican-owned health care organization that finds EMRs to be beneficial. James Holly, CEO of the physician group (SETMA) said that EMRs "play a big role in making the process more efficient for patients." His group uses EMRs to send data between specialists and primary care physicians within the network, according to the article. 

Holly went on to discuss just how important he finds EMRs to be, and as the head of a physician group, how he thinks EMRs are changing health care as we know it. He says that he thinks EMRs can only improve in the future, saying " I think in 10 more years, we're going to be in a much more robust position than we are now...I think the (health care information exchange) will be mature, and most practices, if not all, will be integrated through the HIE."

While Holly is forward-thinking and seems to embrace the technology, that is not the case with mnay physicians. Also, Holly is optimistic towards the HIE, which in theory is a groundbreaking idea. But, in reality, many physicians and healthcare workers are skeptical of the HIE, and worry that a lack of communication many occur between different health care systems and different physicians and hospitals. Another question that many physicians and healthcare workers alike are raising is the question of errors in reporting when using EMRs.

As for the fear of, and the room for errors when using EMRs, there are many options to prevent errors. Medical scribes can assist in this space and can allow for more accuracy and less room for error when using EMRs. Scribes work side-by-side with the physicians and serve as personal assistants and data entry specialists when it comes to the EMRs. This allows physicians more time for patient care, and this also prevents physician data entry errors on EMRs. 

It seems that EMRs are here to stay, especially with Meaningful Use requirements coming up and the need for electronic documentation of patient records. Scribes can help doctors, especially since there is such a high learning curve for these clinicians. Doctors prefer to care for their patients, and they want to provide quality care; physicians do not want to type into EMRs all day long. EMRs and the HIE still have some kinks to work out, but as with any new technology and concept, it takes time to enact and adapt to change. Healthcare workers, be it physicians, physician assistants, nurses or nurse practitioners need to embrace change in order to increase efficency, and many can do this using a medical scribe.

Tags: healthcare, EMRs, Improve Efficiency, Scribe, EMR, EHR, Medical Scribes