subject: How The New Dell Icd 10 Codes Might Affect Your Practice [print this page] There are various people bound to be affected by the adoption of the new Dell ICD 10 diagnostic codes. Some of these people are payers, medical management business associates, third party administrators, clearinghouses and others in the medical field. Also practices making the transition from ICD 9 to the new Dell ICD 10 codes will be required to make a few changes to their practice. Some of these changes include educating staff members, addressing new coding procedures as well as new workflow, modifying clinical documentation and making widespread changes and modifications in their IT systems to ensure continuity and effective progress.
In addition, these practices will also need to increase their storage and file database more for hospitals that are using ICD 10 PCS. This is also in addition to older codes that are now kept for an interim period that has not been yet determined. There is also need to support the processing ability of not only the new codes but also the old ones as well. This will allow the old and new sets to process claims, reporting and analyze dates of services that are past the compliance date for a transitional period until all validation is acquired and the system converted to ICD 10.
While making the transition, payers will want to consider options such as pay for performance, with the aim of encouraging physicians as well as hospitals to produce diagnostic codes and procedures in a more accurate manner. If not so, the physicians and hospitals will be unable to take advantage of the enhanced accuracy and effectiveness of the ICD 10 coding system.
Payers also need to plan ahead for implementing the ICD 10 coding system, as the new system comes with its own unique challenges. The payer will need to find ways of dealing with the increased number of calls from providers, and might possibly need an additional staffing for their call center to take on this new workload.
The new systems might also be required to take on a lower rate for claims. The systems and processes might need to take on claims that could be double billed by providers running simultaneous billing systems.
There might also be an additional need for the payer to develop ways that they can compare historical ICD 9 data to that of ICD 10. This comparison could pose a particular challenge, as mapping for both old and new codes is not always the same.
