Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/493267
54 Coding, Billing & Collections T hough a systemic switch to ICD-10 has been delayed twice, health- care providers, healthcare plans and clearinghouses around the country are finally saying they expect the October 2015 deadline to be the one that — finally — sticks. Thankfully with the deadline's rapid approach, there are more testing, tools, timelines and resources available than ever before to ensure a smooth transi- tion from ICD-9 to ICD-10, says Kelly Bryan, revenue cycle project manager for Surgical Care Affiliates, adding that SCA's more than 180 facilities will be well prepared for the change. "There are many entities offering planning tools and checklists with time- lines," says Ms. Bryan. "CMS offers planning tools based on provider type." The key to a successful change is also one of the biggest challenges, she adds: making time for all of that planning, testing and implementation. "By now, ASCs should have their patient accounting systems upgraded, ICD- 10 codes downloaded and claims tested with payers. By June, coders should be trained and prepared to implement a dual coding program," she says. The resources that SCA has looked to for planning advice include: • CMS Contingency Planning Tools • Industry webcasts • American Health Information Management Association • Clearinghouse vendors But nothing beats a dry run. "After completing our research, we followed a patient from scheduling to remittance to understand how the ICD-10 code is used by individuals and systems. End-to-end testing is key to revealing any flaws in the execution," Ms. Bryan explains. April Sackos, vice president of revenue cycle at Meridian Surgical Partners, which owns and operates 10 centers in nine states, says they've been using a similar approach. "We have a coding education plan in place through Optum for staff as well as specialty-specific plans for the physicians to ensure that our clinical documen- tation is compliant," Ms. Sackos says. "We are also working with each facility to ensure that internal processes — like forms, templates, policies and proce- dures — are updated, and practice management systems and payers are ICD- 10 ready. Additionally, we continue to conduct internal and external testing." Surgical Care Affiliates has conducted quite a bit of internal testing with the new CMS 02/12 form and Ms. Bryan says, "It made sense to tie the two to- gether to save time." ICD-10 Change: It's Real This Time... Again By Nick Gaudio