CMS coalition creates tools to assist physicians and staff address more than 55,000 code changes

Tuesday, May 07, 2013 01:33 PM
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Marilyn Rissmiller, Senior Director, Health Care Finance

The Colorado Medical Society’s ICD-10 Training Coalition has launched a website at www.cms.org/icd-10 to provide physicians with resources to navigate new requirements of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code sets and tailor an implementation plan to fit their practices’ needs in time for the Oct. 1, 2014 implementation deadline.

These resources and training materials include live seminars and a free monthly webinar series. The first two webinars were held on March 19 and April 16 of this year. Archived recordings and slide presentations are available on the website.

Colorado Medical Society coordinated the formation of this statewide training coalition comprised of educators, consultants, physician practices, the Denver Regional Office of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and others, uniting all partners under the goal of ensuring physicians and their staff are prepared for ICD-10.

The switch to the new code set adds more than 55,000 codes to the previous version and will require changes to how health care information is collected, documented and used in physician practices, both internally and externally. Physicians and their staff must begin preparing now.

The ICD-10 pathway involves seven stages:

  • Build awareness and engage with physicians and staff
  • Assess the impact
  • Create your timeline
  • Develop your project plan
  • Begin your preparations
  • Train staff and physicians
  • Test ICD-10 readiness
  • Implement your transition plan
  • Follow up post-transition

The ICD-10 Training Coalition is open to any organization or individual who shares the goal of providing an organized, affordable approach to statewide ICD-10 training for physicians and their staff.

Join those who have already pledged their commitment to readiness through the ICD-10 pledge on the new coalition website, www.cms.org/icd-10/pledges.

Be sure to explore and share the website with your colleagues and staff as new information is added. Stay up to date on training coalition events and resources by signing up for our mailing list at www.cms.org/news/livewire.

 


Posted in: Colorado Medicine | Practice Management | Coding and Billing
 

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