Fleur-De-Lis Connection Volume 26, Issue 7 | Page 2

GLMS News is a monthly publication of the Greater Louisville Medical Society 101 W. Chestnut Street, Louisville, KY 40202 (502) 589-2001 Fax (502) 581-9022 www.glms.org. GLMS News reserves the right to make the final decision on content and advertisements. GLMS NEWS STAFF RESIDENTS CONTINUED Gregory Jones, MD, of Kentucky Recovery spoke about the dangers of high stress and what to look for in fellow physicians who might be suffering or abusing substances. Campus Mental Health Services Executive Director Gordon Strauss, MD, followed, talking about some of the outdoor activities and artistic opportunities Louisville has to offer. The new residents also heard from other speakers including House Staff Council President Dr. Matt Bertke. KMA President and Lexington physician David Bensema, MD, echoed Dr. Couch’s sentiments about the value of organized medicine saying, “Your voice is stronger when it joins with your colleagues across the state.” He encouraged each incoming physician to be a leader in their practice, hospital and community. “These associations stand for our profession and you can make a statement when you join that we are stronger together than apart. It has been a joy to be in organized medicine. I hope it will be for you as well. Physician led, now and always, welcome to the team.” Following the orientation, 100 residents signed up for GLMS and KMA membership. Lelan Woodmansee, CAE Executive Director [email protected] Bert T. Guinn, MBA, CAE Associate Executive Director [email protected] Kate Williams Communications Designer [email protected] Aaron Burch Communications Specialist [email protected] ADVERTISING: Cheri K. McGuire Director of Marketing [email protected] MEMBERSHIP STATUS As of June 2015, active GLMS membership numbered 1,936, which is 79 percent of physicians practicing in Jefferson County. View Additional Photos from GLMS Events: www.flickr.com/photos/glms1 Find Kudos about Member Achievements: www.glms.org. Click Media, then Kudos. Find us on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo. ICD-10 REMINDERS AND TIPS Physicians and office staff have heard over and over that you must use only ICD-10 codes for dates of service on or after October 1, 2015. Here is a list of some things you might not know about ICD-10 implementation: 1. Workers Compensation, property and casualty, and auto claims payers are not covered entities under HIPAA, so they do not have to transition to ICD-10 although they are encouraged to do so since ICD-9 will no longer be updated. 2. Identify the most-used and most critical ICD9 codes for your practice and develop a list of corresponding ICD-10 codes. While it is true that there are around 68,000 ICD-10-CM codes, your practice will not be using all of them. 3. Review current clinical documentation to ensure it meets ICD-10 requirements. Claims without proper ICD-10 coding will be pended, denied or rejected. A large number of ICD-10CM codes only differ in one parameter such as etiology, anatomic site, manifestation, severity, laterality, episode of care or trimester. Complete and accurate physician documentation must be recorded in the medical record in order for the proper code to be selected. 4. Conduct end-to-end testing with software vendors, health plans, clearinghouses and billing services. Monitor the results of the testing and correct any issues identified. Providers that still submit paper claims to a clearinghouse for conversion to an electronic format may want to contact them to determine if/ how the claim submission workflow will be impacted by the switch to ICD-10. 5. Test the pre-authorization process for all payers. Some of the larger payers are already accepting pre-authorization requests for services scheduled after October 1. Providers will need to ensure this process is able to be completed using ICD-10 codes or identify changes that need to be made in the process before implementation begins. 6. Track and monitor reimbursements closely after October 1. Conduct periodic coding audits to ensure required information is being captured through the process. In reality, providers may experience a loss of productivity, staffing issues (loss, overtime, etc.) and problems from vendors or payers resulting in decreased cash flow. Practices should determine if there are opportunities to improve revenue cycle management to create a cash safety net. Experts are recommending a contingency plan that prepares for at least a three month payment delay. It may be a good idea to secure lines of credit for payment interruptions. This is not the time to approve bonuses or raises. Wait until after January 2016 to review. 7. CMS announced that as long as PQRS, Value Based Payment Modifiers or Meaningful Use codes are submitted from the appropriate “family” of ICD-10 codes, providers will not be penalized for the first year that ICD-10 is in place. GLMS MISSION - Promote the science, art and profession of medicine; Protect the integrity of the patient-physician relationship; Advocate for the health and well-being of the community; Unite physicians regardlessGLMS of practice setting 2 NEWS JULYto 2015 achieve these ends.