Checklist for ICD-10 and Audit to Confirm Readiness

October 1st is almost here.  Here is a quick checklist to ensure you are ready:

  1. Have you identified the top ICD-9 diagnoses and trained appropriate staff on the corresponding ICD-10 coding for billing and clinical documentation?
  2. Have you reviewed current clinical documentation and identified gaps for ICD-10 requirements?
  3. Have you contacted all your vendors to ensure they are ICD-10 compliant, such as payers, clearinghouses, and any outside vendors?
  4. Have you tested submitting codes to your payers and clearinghouses?


What else do you need to know and consider?

The only other activity that will provide feedback and prepare you for the transition is an ICD-10 audit. An audit of your present ICD-10 coding activities:

- Can focus on your high-risk ICD-10 codes, as well as inform you of your ICD-10 overall readiness from a business and financial risk perspective

- Monitor the readiness of your system vendors

- Ensure everyone in your ICD-10 coding stream is communicating effectively

- Ascertain the readiness of your clinical documentation

- Reveal the true readiness of your coders to handle the ICD-10 transition

- Provide a comprehensive review of your ICD-10 training processes

- Test your readiness to engage payers in the ICD-10 coding transition

A full scale audit of your present processes will give you immediate and accurate feedback on your true readiness for ICD-10. What you don’t know might hurt you!

Read the original post on GeBBS Healthcare RCM Blog.