Deep Freeze

shutterstock_164898476T68.XXXA — HypothermiannX31.XXXA — Exposure to excessive natural cold, initial encounternnY93.24 — Activity, cross country skiingnnIn preparation for the upcoming deadline for ICD-10 implementation, Welter Healthcare Partners presents weekly ICD-10 Codes of the Week! Our goal is to familiarize you with the new and expanded code set and the additional clinical documentation needed from your providers to comply with ICD-10 coding, and more importantly, for accurate and clean claims submission to keep your revenue stream flowing! We are to help YOU prepare for the October 1, 2014 implementation date. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your training and education needs!

Upcoming ICD-10 Training Opportunities

RT_WelterCode_OnThe team at Welter Healthcare Partners has been hard at work, prepping for some exciting and insightful events! Check out some of our upcoming ICD-10 Training opportunities below.n

ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS Coder Academy

nRegistration deadline for March Academy is March 4th.nnnThis interactive and hands-on ICD-10 training is designed to prepare coders for the AAPC and AHIMA ICD-10 proficiency examinations. Participants will gain the tools they need to appropriately select ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes. These training sessions will be coder centric, and the content will be designed for those staff who will be responsible for applying (or verifying) these codes to documentation. Throughout the academy, participants will be given an assortment of scenarios to code to obtain the proficiency they need for coding in ICD-10.nn[toggle title_open=”Overview of ICD-10 Coder Academy” title_closed=”Overview of ICD-10 Coder Academy” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”](lunch, snacks and drinks will be provided each day)n

[twocol_one]ICD-10-CM (Day 1)nAHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainers will educate coding staff regarding ICD-10-CM with a focus on:n

    n

  • Convention changes and additions
  • n

  • Concept changes and additions
  • n

  • Chapter specific guideline changes and additions
  • n

  • Live coding workshop
  • n

n**This training has the approval of 8.0 CEU’s from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) (AAPC members can submit these CEU’s to AAPC for credit)nn[/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last]ICD-10-PCS (Days 2 and 3)nn

nAHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainers will educate coding staff regarding ICD-10-PCS with a focus on:n

    n

  • The structure of ICD-10-PCS text and codes
  • n

  • The definition and application of each root operation
  • n

  • The method by which an ICD-10-PCS code is selected
  • n

  • Live coding workshops
  • n

n **This training has the approval of 16.0 CEU’s from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) (AAPC members can submit these CEU’s to AAPC for credit)[/twocol_one_last]nn[/toggle]n

Click Here To Learn More

nn

FREE ICD-10 Seminar and Coffee Klatch — REGISTRATION CLOSED, EVENT PASSED.

n

coffeeklatch

nThe compliance date for ICD-10 implementation stands firm at October 1, 2014.  ICD-10 will bring monumental changes to all physician practices and hospitals, and they face a significant financial impact; including claims denials, cash flow issues, and decreased productivity, if not adequately prepared for the ICD-10 transition.nnWe are offering 2.0 CEUs for this session, so make sure to register early!nn[toggle title_open=”Overview of FREE ICD-10 Seminar and Coffee Klatch” title_closed=”Overview of FREE ICD-10 Seminar and Coffee Klatch” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]nn Welter Healthcare Partners is hosting two “Coffee Klatches” on February 11th, 2014. The morning session will take place from 8–10 AM and the afternoon from 2–4 PM. This FREE “Coffee Klatch” is an excellent starting point for physician and hospital coders, and will provide an overview of ICD-10 including:n

    n

  • Discuss ICD-10 –CM-PCS Resources & References (15 mins)
  • n

  • Discuss ICD-10-CM Coding Conventions (15 mins)
  • n

  • Introduce ICD-10-CM Chapter Guidelines (30 mins)
  • n

  • Discuss ICD-10-PCS Guidelines and Code Structure (15 mins)
  • n

  • Introduce the 31 root operations in the Medical & Surgical Section of ICD-10-PCS (15 mins)
  • n

  • Discuss Coder Academy Information (15 mins)
  • n

  • Q&A (15 mins)[/toggle]
  • n

n

Click Here To Learn More

nn

CHIEF ICD-10 Implementation Plan

n

n

Collect and Analyze Documentation Highlight and Train Staff Implement Provider Training Evaluate System(s) Readiness Follow-up and Final PreparationCHIEF ICD-10 Implementation Plan: 5 Steps to Success!( for Physicians and Outpatient Coding)

nAs your CHIEF trainer for ICD-10, we will guide your practice and providers through the implementation process to help ensure your practice is ready on October 1, 2014! Our AHIMA-Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainers will utilize the CHIEF ICD-10 Implementation Plan, and work closely with your providers, coders, billers, and other staff through each step of the implementation and training process.nn

Step 1: Collect data for your top 25 diagnosis codes (50 for Orthopedics!) and review your providers’ (physicians and mid-levels) current documentation to assess ICD-10 readiness. This step will also include forward-mapping of your top diagnosis codes with ICD-10 cheat-sheets for the providers and staff.
Step 2: Highlight areas of needed training for your coding and billing staff. We will utilize your top diagnosis codes data and documentation reviews performed in step 1, and provide a 4 hour intensive, hands-on training and workshop for your coders and billers. We will also formulate a strategic plan for your coders and billers to continue the review and education process with the providers until the implementation date. CEU’s for your certified coders are given for this training!
Step 3: Implement intensive provider training:nnProvider Training #1: A specialty-specific general overview of ICD-10 for all providers (2 hour group training).nnProvider Training #2: One-on-one education with each of the providers (1 hour per provider) to assess their ICD-10 readiness using results from the documentation reviews performed in step 1, and practical tips on how to improve documentation going forward. We recommend that your coding and/or billing staff participate in these one-on-one trainings so they are comfortable continuing the review and education process with the providers until the implementation date.
Step 4: Evaluate EHR, PM, and Clearinghouse readiness. On your behalf we will prepare a “System(s) Readiness Guide” and query vendors on their readiness and routinely provide materials and updates on vendor status to help ensure your revenue stream will not be affected by this transition. We will also provide your staff with a plan to follow up on targeted vendor deadlines.
Step 5: Follow-up provider ICD-10 documentation reviews and additional provider training. Final consultation with your staff on system and vendor readiness.
n

Click Here To Learn More

ICD-10: Minimizing the Financial Hit

shutterstock_164577161With the go-live date rapidly approaching, hospitals and health systems need to make ICD-10 a priority if they want to avoid costly surprises and setbacks.

nThis article appears in the December issue of HealthLeaders magazine.nnDespite the continued objections of some healthcare industry groups, all indications are that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services intends to hold steady with its Oct. 1, 2014, ICD-10 implementation date. With less than a year to go, savvy provider organizations are planning and budgeting for every stage of the conversion process in order to diminish the economic impact wherever possible and to prepare for the expenses they will inevitably incur.nnKaren Testman, chief financial officer at MemorialCare Health System, a Long Beach, Calif.–based six-hospital institution with fiscal year 2012 revenues of $1.8 billion, says her organization is budgeting for five areas related to ICD-10 implementation: computer-assisted coding, comprehensive clinical documentation improvement, HIM training, the systemwide IT component, and training and education.nn”We’ve already had a clinical documentation improvement program in place, but this is really about spending the time and effort and money to build out our Epic electronic medical system and design templates to help physicians document correctly and completely in the system,” she says. “By February, we will be coding everything in ICD-10, and we will be mapping back to ICD-9 to get our bills out.”nnAll told, Testman says MemorialCare expects to spend $24 million to implement ICD-10 in its hospital business and $8 million on the physician side of the organization. Additionally, the system anticipates that ICD-10 will add $800,000 to $850,000 to its annual budget on an ongoing basis.nn”It’s a huge amount of money, and the majority of the cost is operating expenses that can’t be capitalized. You can’t capitalize training,” she says.nnAlthough she believes the system’s early adoption plans will help it mitigate much of the lost staff productivity that many providers are expecting when ICD-10 goes live, she says there will be other staff-related costs.n

Preparing for long-term costs

n”There will be some long-term costs that will never go away. We’ll be adding four coder FTEs on the hospital side, and that will be a permanent cost,” she says, noting she does not expect to add coders on the physician side.n

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

nSource: www.healthleadersmedia.com; Rene Letourneau December 26, 2013.

It's Flu Season

shutterstock_155511368J09.X1 — Avian Influenza with pneumoniannJ09.X1 — Swine influenza with other respiratory manifestationsnnJ09.X3 — Influenza A with gastrointestinal manifestationsnnIn preparation for the upcoming deadline for ICD-10 implementation, Welter Healthcare Partners presents weekly ICD-10 Codes of the Week! Our goal is to familiarize you with the new and expanded code set and the additional clinical documentation needed from your providers to comply with ICD-10 coding, and more importantly, for accurate and clean claims submission to keep your revenue stream flowing! We are to help YOU prepare for the October 1, 2014 implementation date. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your training and education needs!

Playoff Season Is Here!

shutterstock_111003017S83.511A — Sprain of anterior cruciate ligament of right knee, initial encounternnY93.61 — Activity, American tackle footballnnY92.321 — Football field as the place of occurrence of the external causennIn preparation for the upcoming deadline for ICD-10 implementation, Welter Healthcare Partners presents weekly ICD-10 Codes of the Week! Our goal is to familiarize you with the new and expanded code set and the additional clinical documentation needed from your providers to comply with ICD-10 coding, and more importantly, for accurate and clean claims submission to keep your revenue stream flowing! We are to help YOU prepare for the October 1, 2014 implementation date. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your training and education needs!

FREE ICD-10 Seminar and Coffee Klatch

coffeeklatchThe compliance date for ICD-10 implementation stands firm at October 1, 2014.  ICD-10 will bring monumental changes to all physician practices and hospitals, and they face a significant financial impact; including claims denials, cash flow issues, and decreased productivity, if not adequately prepared for the ICD-10 transition.nn Welter Healthcare Partners is hosting two “Coffee Klatches” on February 11th, 2014. The morning session will take place from 8–10 AM and the afternoon from 2–4 PM. This FREE “Coffee Klatch” is an excellent starting point for physician and hospital coders, and will provide an overview of ICD-10 including:n

    n

  • Discuss ICD-10 –CM-PCS Resources & References (15 mins)
  • n

  • Discuss ICD-10-CM Coding Conventions (15 mins)
  • n

  • Introduce ICD-10-CM Chapter Guidelines (30 mins)
  • n

  • Discuss ICD-10-PCS Guidelines and Code Structure (15 mins)
  • n

  • Introduce the 31 root operations in the Medical & Surgical Section of ICD-10-PCS (15 mins)
  • n

  • Discuss Coder Academy Information (15 mins)
  • n

  • Q&A (15 mins)
  • n

n

Location:

nSpine Education and Research Instituten9005 Grant Street, Suite 100nThornton, CO  80229nnWe are offering 2.0 CEUs for this session, so make sure to register early! Fill out the form below to register for this Coffee Klatch today!nnREGISTRATION IS CLOSED, AS THIS EVENT HAS PASSED.