With the world seemingly going to hell around us comes news that has the potential to wreak some havoc with the healthcare system—-something we all need, right?—- the transition to ICD-10— which took effect Oct. 1.
For those who don’t know—can’t say I did —-ICD 10 is the new digital documentation system which is “is mandatory for entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA).” The change also “comes at a time when many health-care systems have only recently gained firm footing from the roll out of electronic health records, also a key part of the Affordable Care Act.”
Possible complications as a result of the transition include “backlogged insurance payments, cash flow problems and emergency bank loans” for healthcare providers. The addition of 141,000 new codes and terms won’t help matters any.
Fortunately —as the wire service story reports—-N.C. providers and insurers have been preparing for the transition to ICD-10 for years and at least feel confident that it will go (somewhat) smoothly.
