The million dollar question: Are spine practices prepared for ICD-10?

Spine

The implementation deadline for the ICD-10 coding system is set for Oct. 1, 2015. Pushed back by a year from the original implementation deadline in 2014, spine practices have had an additional year to prepare. But the question remains: Are they ready?

Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: If you could give one piece of advice to young spine surgeons, what would it be?


 
Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 5 p.m. CST.Brian Gantwerker

 

Question: Are spine practices prepared for ICD-10 implementation?

 

Brian R. Gantwerker, MD, The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: I suppose we will have to be.  

 

KubeRichard A. Kube II, MD, CEO, Founder, Prairie Spine & Pain Institute, Peoria, Ill.: Spine practices are probably mixed with respect to ICD-10. To some degree, it is hard to be completely ready when no one really knows when it will "go live." Countless practices were pushing for readiness last fall, only to see an extension be passed and see those resources spent in preparation be largely wasted. I believe we might see another extension with the new Congress. We will all have to wait and see to some degree.

 

Lloyd Zucker, MD, Chief, Neurosurgery, Delray Medical Center (Delray Beach, Fla.): The concept of the "clean claim" Lloyd Zuckerand the contribution of billing software to assuring this is accomplished will mirror the success of a spine practice with ICD-10. The enormity of this pending task was best illustrated when a member of one of the spine societies took an ICD-9 coding suggestion sheet and tried to convert it to ICD-10. A two-page suggestion sheet turned into a multiple page endeavor.  

 

For a practice to accommodate this without an EMR/EHR that scrubs the coding by instructing each of the steps that is needed will be nearly impossible. Point of service coding will serve to reduce error. Even with these preparations a spine practice needs to prepare for a percentage of their claims after initiation of ICD-10 to be initially rejected along with the financial implications created by this.

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