Providers will have their coding system for billing insurance companies and government changed, yet many Alabama providers are not prepared for the change being implemented Oct. 1.
Here are eight key facts:
1. The federal government is requiring providers, including 38,000 providers in Arkansas, to switch from the ICD-9 system to ICD-10.
2. Those providers who do not note the change and continue to submit billing to ICD-9 will have their claims rejected resulting in payment issues.
3. Tami Harlan, deputy director of Alabama's Medicaid program, claims many providers are not prepared for the change according to anecdotal evidence. Many providers in lieu of the change will request paper checks.
4. A survey conducted by the Arkansas Medical Society showed that of the 95 clinics that were surveyed, only 16 percent claimed they were ready for the coding system change.
5. Many clinics responded they plan to delay the switch because vendors are charging unreasonably high rates.
6. While many providers hope for a grace period of one to two years to avoid penalization for not implementing the switch, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is determined to enforce the coding system change. They do not plan on allowing a third delay in the process.
7. The ICD-10 systems categorizes all medical ailments and procedures into 68,000 codes allowing for greater specificity.
8. The complicated codes allow for better collection data but the switchover is costly with an estimated cost ranging from $56,639 to more than $8 million depending on the size of the practice.
For more CBC news:
Alabama Senate Joint Resolution calls for ICD-10 delay
AMA: Physicians need protections for ICD-10 roll-out — 8 things to know