the list a ways, but it’s definitely why we chose that day,” Dr. Ream said. Dr. Hoverman says ICD-10 would
require internists to learn about 100 codes they use on a regular basis, “and that’s not overly burdensome. But then the other side of it, which is the administrative side of it, [there’s] the issue of how to make your system ready for coding and get all those codes in there. There are additional concerns about whether vendors will be able to handle the new codes and if all insurers will be using the codes immediately.” In July, CMS and the American
Medical Association announced the organizations would work together to make sure practitioners are ahead of the transition, offering educational webinars, articles, and conference calls, as well as on-site training. CMS also announced several grace-period measures designed to make transition- related errors less punitive, including a one-year span during which CMS would not deny Medicare claims sole- ly on the specificity of ICD-10 codes if the physician submitted a code from the appropriate family of codes. (See “ICD-10 Grace Period Doesn’t Let Doc- tors Off the Hook,” opposite page.) TMA policy supports permanently delaying the implementation of ICD- 10. The association also has tools and resources to help physicians prepare for the coding transition. (See “ICD-10 Help From TMA,” page 35.) The CMS/ AMA announcement came after TMA joined medical organizations in three other states in asking for ICD-10 re- lief, including a request for a two-year grace period. TMA President Tom Garcia, MD, said in a statement the CMS announcement slightly eased a
“giant burden.” “Having a year to convert our medi-
cal practices — and the entire Ameri- can health care infrastructure — to this gargantuan new coding system without as many penalties for errors will allow us to spend more time prac- ticing medicine and focusing on pa- tients,” Dr. Garcia said.
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September 2015 TEXAS MEDICINE 37
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