Right on Target
Right on Target
Narrower focus makes it easier to hit the bull’s eye with ICD-10
How will software help Shannon make the reporting code changes right on target?
Mike leaned back in the bleachers, laughing helplessly. His wife, Shannon, tried to glare at him, but she couldn’t keep from joining in. They were watching their youngest child’s soccer game, and it was clear that the players had a lot to learn.
“You shouldn’t laugh at them, Mike!â€
“How can I help it? They run off in all directions, like they don’t really know where the ball is or what they’re supposed to do with it. It’s hilarious!â€
“They’re little. By the end of the year they’ll be exactly on target.â€
Shannon put her arm through her husband’s. She was feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time.
“What are you thinking about?†Mike asked. “It looks like you’ve gotten past your worries over the insurance code reporting.â€
“I’m thinking about targets,†Shannon said, surprising Mike. “I’m still a little worried about the reporting code changes, but I think I’ve found a solution.â€
“Don’t tell me — you’ll put the new regulations up on the wall and throw darts at them.â€
“Not that kind of target.†Shannon rolled her eyes. “A big part of the problem was how complicated the changes are.â€
“I remember — 70,000 new codes, right?â€
“Yes, but with bestPT I don’t have to sift through all of them. We can update the software now with the new ICD-10 codes, and they’ll be grouped in clusters that will allow us to start in roughly the right area and then drill down to the right codes.â€
“Like a target, with the rings narrowing down to the bull’s eye.â€
“That’s how I’m seeing it. Right there on the billing screen we’ll get a crosswalk — like, I can put in 346 and see all the choices for migraine headaches, and then narrow in to the most appropriate code.â€
Mike’s attention was drawn to the field and he and Shannon both cheered as their daughter jumped up and down in triumph.
“I feel a little bit like that right now,†Shannon said when the game resumed. “I guess I was imagining myself leafing through a thousand pages in the new code book every time we needed to file a claim. It doesn’t have to be that way. bestPT calls it their three magnets: assessment, documentation, implementation. And it all happens right there on the billing screen.â€
“A target with a magnetic bull’s eye?†Mike teased. “Sounds perfect.â€
How will software help Shannon make the reporting code changes right on target?
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The Software’s built in intelligence will group the ICD 10 codes into 3 categories. It is like the index pages of a book, that makes it easy for us to get to the page we are interested in. This will allow the practice owner to concentrate in the codes that applies to his / her discipline. Thus the 70,000 code Gorilla will not be intimidating.
Can Shannon build a cross-walk between ICD-9 and ICD-10 directly in the billing screen to accelerate code selection? For instance she could cluster them into into groups and allow a drill down. She also needs to know directly in the billing screen, which payers accept ICD-9 or ICD-10.
Shannon is on the right track! Why stress and keep thinking about the 70,000 codes, when you can narrow it down to only the ones that apply to your patient at that time?!
Every change that the insurance companies have made has been to make it harder to get paid. Finding the right software can make the change to ICD-10 and any future changes easier.
Having the right tool for the job makes all the difference. A software that helps with a smooth transition to ICD-10 can help relieve the stress of a practice owner and their staff.
Insurance companies already work HARD not to pay. This is obvious, but this effort to make things more difficult goes beyond a 5010 transition or a PQRS requirement. ICD-10 is not only an extraordinary complication to coding, but a ploy to pick apart documentation after the fact with the result of failed audits.
You have to plan to prepare for the coding changes, but you also have to become more meticulous in your efforts to document your visits related to the codes that you are choosing. You, your practice, and ultimately your patients lose if CMS comes knocking and you fail an audit. Preparing now is the best plan.
I am working with my providers to be sure they are prepared for the huge transition into ICD-10. Incorporating a workflow centered software that offers support for ICD-10 is key so that providers can focus on treating patients and building their dream practice instead of sifting through 70,000 codes.