Whether you like it or not, ICD-10 stands to be implemented October 1, 2014. This massive expansion of diagnosis codes has been delayed in the past, but all signs point to implementation. APS stands prepared and ICD-10 ready. As we’ve seen in the past, with other conversions, not all carriers will likely be ready to support the use of these codes on day one. In anticipation of this issue, APS has built an ICD-9 to ICD-10 crosswalk to allow for submission of diagnosis codes based on what the carrier is able to accept and ultimately pay. To prepare our clients, APS will be releasing a series of ICD-10 newsletters, which will outline changes and provide a quick reference for example code sets. In addition, this information will begin appearing on our website. It is important to begin conditioning referring physicians to include more specific detail on site of origin of specimen sent for evaluation. Look forward to our ICD-10 newsletter and please consider sharing with your non-pathologist colleagues. Considering the diagnosis driven environment of pathology reimbursement, a better informed referring will lead to more accurate coding and paid claims.
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