training needs within their organizations to prepare for these changes.” Mr. McDonald echoes Ms. Dilday’s comment: “CMS has strongly urged all providers and involved partners to start their planning now, so that they’ll be ready to make the switch. Don’t delay in getting educated, involved, and pre- pared for the transition. There will be no grace period or delay in the Oct. 1, 2013, implementation.” Payers urge physicians to review and enhance their record-keeping methods to see how well they align with the more- detailed coding required through ICD-10. This specificity is important if providers
expect to receive maximum allowable re- imbursements. Although claims cannot be processed using the new ICD-10 code set before Oct. 1, 2013, testing with each payer in advance of the deadline is important. Physicians should reach out to each provider to learn when test- ing can begin and work that testing into their implementation plan. “Our recommendation is that the pro-
viders move ahead as rapidly as they can,” said Dr. Hochheiser. The main areas of concern for provid- ers should be understanding how mov- ing to ICD-10 will affect their office op- erations and working closely with their
vendors to ensure they’re properly pre- pared for the changeover — steps simi- lar to those being taken by Texas payers right now. “There is a tremendous amount of work that will need to occur between now and that Oct. 1, 2013, deadline,” Dr. Hochheiser said. “We all need to be on top of this.”
Liz Carmack is an Austin freelance writer.
Payers provide ICD-10 transition resources
Physicians should check payers’ websites for information about preparing for ICD- 10 and for news and details about what the payers are doing to ensure that the transition proceeds smoothly. Resources include everything from
background information about the code change to frequently asked questions that address what to expect when work- ing with particular companies during implementation.
Physicians can stay abreast of updates and payers’ progress toward compliance by paying close attention to the newslet- ters and other routine communications that insurers send in the coming year by visiting the organizations’ websites for ICD-10 news, or, in some cases, by sign- ing up for special email updates. “Providers should continue to monitor our established channels of communi- cation, especially in the critical period leading up to the compliance date,” said Stephanie Goodman, spokesperson for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Aetna spokesperson Anjie Coplin
adds, “As our plans progress, we plan to communicate and collaborate with the provider community, and our website contains the most up-to-date informa- tion on ICD-10, as well as 5010.” Some payers are presenting webinars
36 TEXAS MEDICINE February 2012
and teleconferences to educate health professionals. “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas [BCBSTX] is offering webinars to pro- vide a general overview of ANSI v5010 and ICD-10,” said Margaret Jarvis, BCB- STX senior manager of media and public relations. The company’s website provides in- formation about upcoming webinars, as well as slide shows from previous ICD- 10 presentations.
CMS has hosted a series of telecon-
ferences since 2008 to review ICD-10’s changes and how they affect providers. The CMS main ICD-10 site provides gen- eral equivalence mappings to help physi- cians convert data from ICD-9 to ICD-10.
Payer-provided resources Aetna
Main ICD-10 website:
www.aetna.com/healthcare-profession als/policies-guidelines/
icd_10_faq.html
BCBSTX Main ICD-10 website:
www.bcbstx.com/provider/standards/ ansi.html
Webinars:
www.bcbstx.com/provider/ news/
ansi_webinars.html
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Main ICD-10 website:
www.cms.gov/ icd10/
Teleconferences:
www.cms.gov/ICD10/ Tel10/
list.asp#TopOfPage
Humana Main ICD-10 website:
www.humana-military.com/south/pro vider/tools-resources/Bulletins-Newslet ters/I8-10/
portability-accountability.asp
UnitedHealthcare Main ICD-10 website:
www.unitedhealthcareonline.com/b2c/ CmaAction.do?channelId=6fa2600ae2 9fb210VgnVCM1000002f10b10a____
Questions and further assistance: Email
ansi_icd@bcbstx.com or contact your lo- cal facility or professional provider net- work office.
CIGNA
CIGNA for Health Care Professionals website:
https://cignaforhcp.cigna.com/ wps/portal
Questions and further assistance: (800) 88CIGNA (882-4462)
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