You have probably heard by now that the required switch to using ICD-10 has been delayed by a few years. You can breathe a little easier for now, but have you begun to consider how your office will implement the changes? And what do these changes mean to you anyway?
A little background…as you know, insurance companies do not pay for “tension headaches” and “15 minute office visits for an established patient” – insurance companies pay for medical diagnosis codes like 307.81 and procedure CPT codes such as 99213. Diagnosis codes, CPT and HCPCS codes all describe patient complaints, illness, procedures and supplies for a submitted claim. The ICD-9 codes currently in use were adopted in the 1960s by the U.S. Since then there have been many advances in healthcare. Under the current coding system, the room to expand is limited. By adding codes under the new system, there will be room to expand and be more specific in reporting.
How much so? Think there are a lot of codes now? Try 68,000 diagnoses codes, up from 13,000 now. For procedure codes (CPT) we go from 3000 codes now to 87,000 codes! What is more, ICD-9 codes will go from up to 5 digits (ex. 307.81) to up to 7. Continue reading ‘Medical Coding Services and Physicians – What Impact Will the Switch to ICD-10 Have on You?’ »
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