CMS expands resources to help providers prepare for ICD-10

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are doing everything they can to help providers prepare for the Oct. 1, 2014, ICD-10 implementation date. Denesecia Green, CMS senior health insurance specialist, spoke with Clinical Innovation + Technology about the agency’s ICD-10 resources.

“We set out to ensure that everyone has the tools, information and resources to prepare for ICD-10,” she said. That includes expanding CMS’ free technical assistance and training to all stakeholder groups. “CMS is committed to ensuring that everyone is successful.”

The agency is focused on helping people review coding examples, clinical scenarios and clinical documentation processes, become familiar with the codes and look for any elements of their systems that might need upgrades or remediation, Green said. They also suggest conducting an analysis of the office setting to make sure front- and back-office processes are coming together for ICD-10.

CMS has been working with industry organizations to develop materials and tools, Green said. The online ICD-10 guide announced recently, for example, is an easier way to get through the information in the more comprehensive guides. The resource is the result of small providers asking CMS to provide a tool that spells out quick, key steps. Those key steps include planning and analysis, training needs and communication that needs to take place between physicians, coders and billing organizations, as well as clearinghouses, payers and plans, she said.

Green recommended that providers identify a person to be responsible for oversight of the transition. That could be the office manager, a coder or a physician. “Identify someone who can champion the transition within the organization--one person that can bring front- and back-office personnel together to ensure success.”

She also recommended focusing on staff training. “We want to make sure people are familiar with the new codeset and are comfortable and confident to go into the transition on October 1.” CMS has been offering clinical scenarios that help providers understand the key areas that have been expanded with the ICD-10 codeset.

Some smaller providers have said their size will make for an easier transition, Green said. But, “it really depends on the organization and how they operate today.” CMS’ expanded training and technical assistance is tailored especially for these smaller providers, she said. “The expansion is something we decided to do because we know some small providers have limited resources.” Green also pointed out that, in addition to CMS resources, several industry organizations offer resources and training.

CMS also is launching a public-private partnership to further help the industry through the transition, Green said. Led by the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), the collaboration is an industry–led effort. “CMS is very supportive of that. We will participate in that effort and help industry answer questions. We expect that to continue post implementation.”

The agency is taking a proactive role in getting information released, Green said.  Weekly planning meetings with industry have been instituted, frequently asked questions resources will be updated and best practices will be shared. “We’re very excited about that. We’re getting a lot of positive feedback.”