Health Plans
Get Ready Now with the New CMS Quick Start Guide!
While ICD-10 is almost here, you still have time to get ready. But you must get ready now.
Each day this week we are highlighting 1 of the 5 steps from the new Quick Start Guide:
1) Make a Plan, 2) Train Your Staff, 3) Update Your Processes, 4) Talk with Your Vendors and Health Plans, and 5) Test Your Systems and Processes. Today our focus is:
Step: 4 Talk to Your Vendors and Health Plans
- Call your vendors to confirm the ICD-10 readiness of your practice’s systems
- Confirm that the health plans, clearinghouses, and third-party billing services you work with are ICD-10 ready
- Ask vendors, health plans, clearinghouses, and third-party billers about testing opportunities
Tips
- You can use forms available in the Road to 10’s Template Library to guide discussions with vendors, health plans, clearinghouses, and billing services
- Double check that you’ve identified all systems that use ICD codes—e.g., practice management systems, electronic health record (EHR) products—when contacting vendors
- Update contracts with vendors and health plans as needed
- Transition costs for small medical practices could be substantially lower than projected earlier:
- Many EHR vendors are including ICD-10 in their systems or upgrades—at little or no cost to their customers
- Software and systems costs for ICD-10 could be minimal for many providers
To learn more about getting ready, visit cms.gov/ICD10 for free resources including the Road to 10 tool designed especially for small and rural practices, but useful for all health care professionals.
