Nurse Practitioners and other clinicians should be aware of the changes that are taking place when it comes to diagnostic coding.
On October 1, 2013, medical coding in U.S. health care settings will change from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10. The transition will require business and systems changes throughout the health care industry. Everyone who is covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) must make the transition, not just those who submit Medicare or Medicaid claims. The compliance dates are firm.
If you are not ready, your claims will not be paid. Preparing now can help you avoid potential reimbursement issues in the future. Ask your clearinghouse, billing service or software vendor what you need to do to be ready for ICD-10.
To learn more, visit http://www.cms.gov/ICD10/. Start now.