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What, Why, When of ICD-10

Breaking Down ICD-10 PLUS Two Guides to Help You Prepare

By now you should have heard a thing or two about the ICD-10 coding changes being implemented this fall. For those who may not have heard, here’s a quick breakdown.

Let’s start with the what. The tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) is a complete revision to current ICD-9 coding. The ICD-10-CM and PCS are complete revisions that adjust for more information per code, better support for patient care management, quality measurement and analytics and improved ability to understand risk and severity. (CMS, 2014). Although the overall format of the coding is similar, ICD-10-CM will shift from 3-5 digits to 3-7 digits. Unlike ICD-9, ICD-10 expands details for many conditions. For a quick look at the coding changes, we've put together an ICD-10 Code Structure Breakdown.

Download ICD-10 Coding 101: Coding Structure

With the basics covered, let’s move into the why.

Just when you get the hang of things, we have to up and change it. Frustrating right? Although it may take some time to adjust, using ICD-10-CM coding will now provide a better reflection of current medical practice by capturing more specific data from clinical documentation. This additional detail will help to facilitate better coordination of patient care across settings and improve our ability to track patient health.

Now what really matters. When?

The official date for ICD-10-CM implementation is set for October 1, 2015. By this date, your practice must start using ICD-10 codes for services provided on or after this date. That may seem like a long ways away, but we all know how fast time flies. While FoxFire aims to provide clients with innovative tools to simplify this process, we know there is much more to it and we want to help! We’ve broken down some steps, a checklist of sorts, to help light the flame and get you thinking more closely about how the upcoming changes will affect your practice. From doctor to staff, there are things you can do now to make October much easier.

Download ICD-10 Basic Checklist

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