The mandatory conversion to ICD-10-CM/PCS diagnostic coding on October 1, 2013, is not just a case of changing how your claims are coded. The conversion will have a reverberating effect on all healthcare personnel. The implementation of the new coding system and expansion from approximately 17,000 ICD-9 codes to approximately 140,000 ICD-10 codes will affect every aspect of how your office operates. Providers, nurses, office managers, billers, coders and administrative staff will all have a level of responsibility. These responsibilities can not be under stressed or delayed with the oncoming deadline to begin internal testing in 2012.

National Provider Compliance Corporation not only wants you to be prepared for ICD-10, we want you to welcome it. Beyond the frustration that any encompassing system changes will bring, we want you to see the benefits of the ICD-10 structure and coding logic as well. These benefits include greater capacity to add new codes as needed, improved claims turn around, less need for additional information for claims adjudication, fewer modifiers, less redundancy of services and better patient record keeping. When properly implemented, ICD-10 has the potential to improve global healthcare communication, physician to patient coordination and ultimately your practice's cash flow.