Within all the layers of detailed information you’re learning as you begin to convert your medical practice billing and coding to ICD-10 are the 68,000 diagnosis codes that include those you may not refer to every day. Say, for example, ICD-10’s introduction of 312 codes for injuries by animals. They include:

  • W5922XA: Struck by a turtle, initial encounter
  • W5609XA: Other contact with dolphin, initial encounter
  • W58.11XA: Bitten by a crocodile, initial encounter
  • W58.01XA: Bitten by alligator, initial encounter

Then there are those for even more specific circumstances:

  • X52XXXD: Prolonged stay in weightless environment, subsequent encounter
  • V91.07XA: Burn due to water skis on fire, initial encounter

The above are provided as examples of the level of increased detail ICD-10 brings to medical record documentation. Your success in documenting the expansive lists of new diagnosis codes is dependent on your preparation and your medical practice revenue cycle management team.

The scope of the ICD-10 conversion, scheduled for completion by Oct. 1, 2014, can be compared to the Y2K date correction conversion. The ICD-10 conversion means significant changes to your office procedures, which are expected to affect every aspect of business operations. It also requires you to increase your level of medical record documentation across all aspects of service.

As aware as you already may be about ICD-10, what you may not know is how best to mitigate the risks and challenges that accompany this transition and to what degree this transition can fully benefit, and grow, your Emergency Medicine revenue cycle management.

Risks/challenges include:

  • More detailed medical records
  • More time to translate/interpret by coders
  • Increase provider queries by coders
  • Increased delays in authorizations
  • Increased claim rejections
  • More time to research/resolve reimbursement issues
  • Increase queries for documentation by facilities
  • Same notes used in facility and office

Outsourcing your medical practice billing and coding, when you have the right partner, gives you the industry insider expertise your team needs to ensure your risk is minimized and your revenue is maximized.

During the conversion, said to be the most significant overhaul of the medical coding system since computers were introduced, your practice requires a physician revenue cycle management team with a full cadre of support and resources especially designed to prepare your team to:

  • Organize the effort      
  • Analyze the impact
  • Contact the vendors
  • Budget for costs
  • Implement software and systems upgrades
  • Conduct internal testing
  • Train staffs
  • Conduct external testing of transactions
  • Keep revenue flowing
  • Maximize revenue stream

It takes the special expertise of an industry insider in Emergency Medicine revenue cycle management to understand how to most effectively transition to ICD-10. .com has the expertise in medical practice billing and coding required to offer the full extent of support to your team as you prepare for conversion.

revMD.com offers superior results in Emergency Medicine coding, billing and collections for splint/cast applications, bedside ultrasounds, critical care in the ED and critical care procedures, and observation status in the ED. For many years, the team has successfully managed both non-physician and supervising physician billing.

revMD.com is the results-proven alternative for medical practice revenue cycle management, with a niche specialization in Emergency Medicine billing and coding that generates unprecedented results and builds profitable medical practices. Leveraging a history of industry wide success spanning 25 years, revMD.com partners with medical practices throughout the U.S. to optimize revenue for hospital based and practice based physicians. For more information, visit www.revmd.com.