"Crash programs fail because they are based on the theory that with nine women pregnant you can get a baby a month" - Werner Von Braun
While it's unlikely that there are CIOs with their head in the proverbial sand, some have openly questioned the logic and timing of such mandates. Most would liken the ICD-1O conversion process as "undesirable" at best. Conversely, kicking the can down the road comes with its own set of complications.
The question for health systems in approaching this issue is whether they can leverage the delay into an opportunity for long term organizational success.
Opportunities in the ICD-10 Delay
- Computer Assisted Coding NLP Optimization: Testing systems to support ICD-1O coding is one of the biggest benefits to optimize cash flow and reimbursement
- ICD-10 system remediation
- Continued testing of all systems supporting ICD-10, so concentration can be focused around regression testing in 2015
- Utilization of ICD-10 data for financial/net revenue modeling and testing to show impacts on claim reimbursement and cash flow
- Testing payment variances using expected vs. tested claims data to validate reimbursement based on pre and potential post ICD- 10 contract terms
- Payer Collaboration, readiness and external testing opportunities
- Dual Coding, Clinical Documentation Enhancement and Physician Education improvement
Keep up the Preparation for ICD-10
Ultimately it is the compass, not the crystal ball that CIO leadership offers. We all learned from the last delay. Organizations that kept momentum and readiness efforts on track, albeit a stretched implementation, did better than the organizations that stopped and tried to resuscitate all over again. The decisions are difficult. Not achieving ICD-1O results in more than a minor quagmire of delayed receivables. Nothing less than the entire revenue stream of an organization is at stake.
One way or another, everyone is going to feel the pain. Preparedness will alleviate the pain.
With the HCI Group, your organization can not only begin the ICD-10 conversion process but also incorporate the new coding into a fully optimized revenue cycle to help assure maximum efficiency and peak performance.