Updates to the ICD-10 code set normally occur annually and become effective on October 1st. Due to “COVID-19 being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization” and “the urgent need to capture the reporting of this condition in our nation’s claims and surveillance data”, the CDC has announced that the official effective date of the new diagnosis code “U07.1, COVID-19” will be moved up to April 1, 2020. According to the CDC, “this off-cycle change is unprecedented” and is being done via an exception found “under the National Emergencies Act Section 201 and 301”.
Due to the fluidity of the circumstances, there may be further changes or updated guidance on the use of this code, however, interim coding guidance can be found on this CDC page.
At the time of writing, the exact language of changes becoming effective can be found in this document.
Be sure to update your EMR’s ICD-10 library, applicable code sets, and favorites to include the code for increased efficiency. Be sure not to submit the new code for dates of service prior to the effective date unless instructed to by a specific payer. Most EMR’s allow you to set an effective date which helps to prevent accidentally doing so and the resulting denials.
If you need assistance in adding the new code to your practice’s Electronic Medical Records (EMR) / Electronic Practice Management (EPM) system, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote. It is usually quick and therefore inexpensive, in most systems.
While payers who require ICD-10 codes, should be prepared for and able to accept the new code immediately, it’s not uncommon to run into clearinghouse or payer-specific issues just after a change. Because of this, it’s extremely important to closely monitor and ensure payers are correctly processing claims containing new codes.
Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the secret to success… Employees who CARE
Many practices realize that employees are important to the equation. Some try to have potlucks and happy hours to build engagement. Though this is taken slightly out of context, the adage alcohol won’t fix your problems holds true. Having a happy hour won’t make your employees care. If the physicians and managers show that they care and are engaged during a happy hour, it may help change the culture. In this case, it’s not the happy hour itself changing the culture.
Before everyone stops reading and dismisses me for not saying that training, reports, or policies are the determinants, here are three real world scenarios I frequently see to support this assertion:
Again, this is not the only factor that will determine the success of a practice, but without this secret ingredient, at best success will be mediocre and short-lived.
If you’d like to learn more, please stay tuned as I’ll surely be posting more detailed and actionable articles on the subject, including building and fostering a culture of caring.
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