Practice Management Institute & MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society Address ICD-10 Transition

Oct. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Practice Management Institute® and MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society will present a CME-approved workshop on October 6 to prepare physicians and medical coding staff for the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10-CM.

The impact of the shift to ICD-10 will substantially impact all health care entities. The new code set includes five times as many codes as the ICD-9 code set, and a different arrangement of codes that will require more documentation, revised forms, retraining of staff and physicians, and changes to software and other information technology.

“Physicians will need to understand the increased documentation requirements,” said Douglas O’Dell, President of Practice Management Institute. “This CME-approved class will provide examples to illustrate the increased specificity required with the new code set. The ICD-10-CM Coding Workshop will address proper documentation procedures along with specific coding examples that will improve comprehension and get physicians and coding professionals on track for the next phase of implementation.”

Both clinical and non-clinical staff should attend to learn about the overall conversion. Phase 2 of ICD-10-CM implementation, as prepared by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is already here. The deadline for conversion to the 5010 Transaction and Code Sets Standards is January 1, 2012.  Those medical offices that are not prepared for the new requirements risk a major reimbursement meltdown from claim denials.

“I believe that the best physician practices have the best trained staff,” stated Tina McIlwrath, Continuing Education Manager at MedChi. “Partnering with PMI has allowed MedChi to provide outstanding education to both physicians and their staff. We are able to prepare both for upcoming changes in a timely fashion, allowing their main focus to remain with patient care.”

Changes in reimbursement patterns may also result from the increased specificity of the new code set. ICD-10 consists of diagnosis codes (ICD-10-CM) and procedure codes (ICD-10-PCS) similar to ICD-9. The difference is in the specificity and number of codes. Structural differences between the two code sets also exist. ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes have three to five digits that are mostly numeric (supplemental chapters have an alpha first digit). The ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes have three to seven digits with an alpha first digit, numeric second digit, and alpha or numeric third through seventh digits. The ICD-9-CM procedure codes have three or four numeric digits. Although the ICD-10 code set is larger and more complex, it has the benefit of providing significantly more information.

To register, please contact Tina McIlwrath at MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society. This ICD-10-CM is approved for 6 PMI CEUs, 5.5 AAPC CEUs, and 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society and the Practice Management Institute. MedChi is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

MedChi designates this live activity for a maximum of 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Practice Management Institute has taught physicians and their staffs how to run a more productive, profitable and compliant medical office for 30 years. Today, PMI is a leading source for training and credentialing. Each year, more than 50,000 medical office professionals attend PMI continuing education. Classes are hosted in leading hospitals, medical societies and colleges across the U.S.

MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, is a non-profit membership association of Maryland physicians. It speaks on behalf of over 22,000 licensed physicians in the state. Its mission is to serve as Maryland's foremost advocate and resource for physicians, their patients and the public’s health.

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PMI teaches physicians and their staffs how to run more productive, profitable and compliant medical offices. Each year, 50,000 medical office professionals attend PMI training hosted by leading hospitals, medical societies and colleges across the U.S.