Just five weeks out from the October 1 ICD-10 deadline, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Medicare Learning Network (MLN) will hold a National Provider Call on August 27 to provide last-minute coding guidance and tips, as well as updates from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Topics addressed on the “Countdown to ICD-10” call will include: how to get answers to coding questions, claims that span the implementation date, results from acknowledgement and end-to-end testing weeks, and where to find additional provider resources.
Speakers and subject matter experts scheduled for the call are Sue Bowman, senior director of coding policy and compliance at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and Nelly Leon-Chisen, director of coding and classification at the American Hospital Association.
Medical coders, physicians, physician office staff, nurses and other non-physician practitioners, provider billing and health records staff, and all Medicare providers are encouraged to listen in.
However, time is quickly running out for ICD-10 procrastinators. An eHealth Initiative survey of 271 providers, conducted in conjunction with AHIMA and released in June, revealed a preparedness gap between larger and smaller provider organizations.
“It’s very concerning that about 14 percent of physician practices and almost 12 percent of the small organization category have not completed any of the steps to prepare for ICD-10,” said AHIMA’s Bowman.
Source: healthdatamanagement.com