ICD-10 News: Contact Your Vendors, Clearinghouses, and Billing Services

News Updates | September 2, 2015
Get Ready Now: Contact Your Software Vendors, Clearinghouses, and Billing Services With ICD-10 less than 30 days away, now is the time to get ready. You can make sure your practice is prepared by following the ABCs of ICD-10: Assess how ICD-10 will affect your practice and make a plan Be sure your systems are ready Contact your vendors Today, we’ll explore “C” – “Contact your vendors.” If you aren’t sure your systems are ready for ICD-10, contact your vendors and other business trading partners. Ask about testing opportunities Test with vendors, clearinghouses, billing services, and health plans to: Verify that you can submit, receive, and process data with ICD-10 codes Understand how ICD-10 updates affect the transactions you submit Identify and address specific issues before October 1 Check for testing opportunities at the website of the Cooperative Exchange, an association of clearinghouses. Confirm vendors and products are ICD-10-ready 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 Many EHR vendors are including ICD-10 in their systems or upgrades—at little or no cost to their customers 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, claims submission systems, electronic health record (EHR) products—when contacting vendors Update contracts with vendors and health plans as needed Keep Up to Date on ICD-10Visit the CMS ICD-10 website and Roadto10.org for the latest news and resources to help you prepare. Sign up for CMS ICD-10 Email Updates and follow us on Twitter.