Now & Then - The Changes to ICD-10
About this time last year, the healthcare industry made a major shift in the way providers document patient care. Transitioning from the original ICD-9 code set to the new ICD-10 brought nearly 70,000 new codes into the mix. Providers were required to not only learn the new coding guidelines, but to implement them appropriately in order to meet the requirements of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).Now, almost a year later, providers are faced with a new ICD-10 challenge, making the full transition complete.
On October 1, 2016, over 5,500 new codes will be added to the ICD-10 code set. For eye care, there will be 1900 diagnosis codes (ICD-10-CM) added, with over 500 relating directly to managing eye care. These new additions reflect the full code set, adding in a backlog of codes that were not implemented due to the freeze in the initial transition from ICD-9.
For providers in eye care, there are four major areas that will be impacted by this coding change:
- Diabetes
- Retinal Vein Occlusion
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
For the areas listed above, providers will now have laterality and severity codes to use. Over the past year, providers were able to take advantage of an adjustment period in which coded claims were accepted as long as they fell into the correct ICD-10 code family. Moving forward, these generic or incorrect coded claims will no longer be accepted.
Lucky for FoxFire clients, the work has already been done. From day one, FoxFire Systems Group has managed the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 to take the headache away from our clients. Our EHR and practice management system is automatically updated to reflect the coding changes so that clients are prepped and ready to work live from day one. With helpful guides like our Cheat Sheet and our expert billing team on staff, we have the knowledge and tools providers need to move forward with the changing times.
If you’re struggling with ICD-10 still or are lost in the web of updates, speak to one of our representatives today. See how our software can help or learn what you need to do so you don’t fall behind. Love to read? Check out the full release of information from CMS here.
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