Talk Ten Tuesdays

Removing the Speed Bumps from ICD-11 Adoption

March 19, 2019 Chuck Buck | Jeffrey D. Lehrman, DPM | Terry Fletcher | Laurie M. Johnson | Margaret A. Skurka | Erica Remer, MD
Talk Ten Tuesdays
Removing the Speed Bumps from ICD-11 Adoption
Show Notes

Imagine an almost seamless transition from ICD-10 to ICD-11, unlike the sturm and drang that characterized the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 – which, finally, after the dust settled, became effective in 2015. 

Eliminating the speed bumps could happen. The National Committee for Vital Health Statistics (NCVHS) recently sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proposing that the massive agency use sub-regulatory processes to make version updates to the International Classification for Diseases (ICD) in the same way it handles updates to all the other named HIPAA code set standards. Moreover, HCVHS said that HHS should invest now in a project to evaluate ICD-11 and develop a plan that will enable a smooth and transparent transition at the optimal time.    

Reporting our lead story during this edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays will be Margaret Skurka, past president of the International Federation of Health Information Management Associations, IFHIMA, and the current IFHIMA/AHIMA representative to the World Health Organization (WHO) Family of International Classifications Education and Implementation Committee. That committee does work on ICD-11, as well as work on improving the quality of coded data internationally while recognizing coders around the world.

The broadcast will also feature these other segments:

  • Coding Report: World Kidney Day was celebrated on March 13, 2019. Laurie Johnson provides some information about chronic kidney disease and its complications along with the coding of this chronic condition. Johnson is a nationally recognized coding authority and senior healthcare consultant at Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC.

  • News Desk: As expected, the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) CPT® editorial board last month approved major changes to documentation and code selection guidelines for evaluation and management (E&M) codes. The changes were announced last week and are expected to become effective in 2021. Reporting this developing story from the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk will be Dr. Jeffrey Lehrman, a practicing podiatrist, and consultant to the Health Policy and Practice Department of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

  • Tuesday Focus: Virtual check-ins are the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) communications technology-based payable service. Reporting this important story is nationally recognized professional physician coder and auditor Terry Fletcher. 

  • TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, FACEP, CCDS, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, reports on the events that took place during this week’s national conference of the American College of Physician Advisors.