ICD-10 implementation date postponed

BWC continues to implement certain structural improvements

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced recently that it will postpone the date by which certain health-care entities have to comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10). The HHS has not announced the new implementation date.

 

“Clearly, we will re-evaluate the prioritization that we have laid out for activities pursuant to subsequent communications of HHS timelines,” said Freddie Johnson, chief of medical services and compliance. “However, there were activities embedded within the ICD10 project plan that will need to occur irrespective of the timeline which HHS may adopt.”

 

Therefore, BWC is moving forward with the current phase of the ICD-10, which includes activities focused on necessary modifications to infrastructure support and business processes. Activities in the current phase served the dual purpose of addressing current business needs, as well as preparing the agency’s environment to efficiently and successfully migrate to ICD-10. These include:

 

·    EDI testing of the electronic data interchange will continue. This will allow BWC to accurately capture all the important types of return-to-work dates and information for quality performance outcome measurements and to support return-to-work initiatives.

·    On the billing side, all providers will move to the updated 5010 837 EDI format on April 1, 2012; as BWC and managed care organizations will move to accept this format. This will ensure BWC can continue to process provider bills.

·    MIIS retirement: The essence of the project is to eliminate the outdated MIIS system and move all activities to other appropriate environments, including consolidating billing into one system

·    Replacement of the Encoder software used to select ICD9s for claims allowance this year.