Your project plan should identify each task to be completed, when tasks should begin and end, and who should be responsible for each task. At a minimum, your organization should consider the following activities:
- Ensure senior leadership understands the breadth and significance of the ICD-10 change. Download free ICD-10 fact sheets and background information from the CMS website and share trade publication articles on the transition.
- Assign overall responsibility and decision-making authority for managing the transition. This can be one person or a committee depending on the size of the organization.
- Plan a comprehensive and realistic budget. This should include costs such as software upgrades and training needs.
- Ensure involvement and commitment of all internal and external stakeholders. Contact vendors, physicians, affiliated hospitals, clearinghouses, and others to determine their plans for ICD-10 transition.
- Take advantage of free webinars and implementation materials.
- Share best practices with peers.
- Schedule software/hardware testing.
- Review internal policies to support the transition.
- Adhere to a well-defined timeline.
Here are some tasks that should be included in the project plan.
- Identify commonly used ICD-9 codes and begin to explore related ICD-10 codes.
- Identify and update paper and electronic forms to accommodate the ICD-10 code structure.
- Schedule ICD-10 training for clinicians, office managers, billers, coders, and other key staff.
For more information, check out the resources on implementation planning on the Provider Resources page of the CMS ICD-10 website.
WEDI ICD-10 Status Survey
The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) is currently hosting their October ICD-10 Status Survey. The survey will assess the ICD-10 readiness of vendors, clearinghouses, health plans, and providers. If you fall into one of these categories, your participation will help CMS and industry update the progress of the ICD-10 transition. The survey closes on Friday, November 1.
Want more information about ICD-10?
Visit the CMS ICD-10 website for the latest news and resources to help you prepare for the October 1, 2014, deadline. Sign up for CMS ICD-10 Industry Email Updates and follow us on Twitter.
