The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed four implementation handbooks as additional resources to assist the healthcare industry with the transition from International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 to ICD-10 codes.
These handbooks are step-by-step guides specifically for small and medium provider practices, large provider practices, small hospitals, and payers. Each guide provides timelines and suggested steps and processes for planning and executing the ICD-10 transition process. The appendix of each handbook references templates, available for download in both Excel and PDF formats, which are customizable and have been created to help entities clarify staff roles, set internal deadlines/responsibilities, and assess vendor readiness.
All affected entities must first convert to Version 5010 by Sunday, January 1, 2012, in order for the ICD-10 medical code sets to work. In order to meet this compliance deadline, affected entities need to conduct both Level I Internal Testing and Level II External Testing of transactions. Once the transition to Version 5010 is complete, the necessary steps listed in the ICD-10 implementation handbooks must be taken to help prepare for ICD-10.
To access the ICD-10 website for the latest news and resources, including the four implementation handbooks and templates, click here.
All entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) must transition to the ICD-10 code sets by October 1, 2013.
