An AAFP blog post from Shawn Martin, AAFP Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy on ICD-10 and available resources from AAFP, read it on their website at http://blogs.aafp.org/cfr/inthetrenches/entry/ready_or_not_icd_10?cmpid=em_41054201_B1
The moment of truth is upon us. ICD-10 is here.
On Oct. 1, all physicians and health care providers must convert their billing systems from ICD-9 to ICD-10. This also will mark the day that all payers — Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance — will no longer accept claims for care provided that does not include an ICD-10 code.
I understand that there remains a fading glimmer of hope that Congress will step in and avert the implementation of ICD-10, but as we have stated for much of the past year, Oct. 1 will come and ICD-10 will be implemented. Although I am approaching Oct. 1 with cautious optimism that the conversion will go smoothly, I recognize fully that a conversion of this size will not occur independent of challenges. The AAFP’s top priority is making certain that you have the resources you need to make the transition and deal with any problems that may arise as a result of the conversion.
To this end, I want to call attention to the AAFP’s top ICD-10 resources:
- ICD-10 Referential Flash Cards;
- Frequently Asked Questions;
- Countdown to ICD-10;
- ICD-10 Webinar: Think Outside the Book; and
- Family Practice Management eBook Anthology.
The AAFP will be carefully monitoring this transition and will be communicating all information we receive from family physicians directly to CMS. If you encounter challenges with claims submission or, more importantly, claim rejections please let us know so we can work with you to resolve these issues. The AAFP has created a direct communication link. (Log in required.) I wish each of you luck.