ICD-10 starts this week – Are you prepared?

Starting Thursday, Oct. 1, UMHS coding and billing processes will use ICD-10 codes for encounters with dates of service 10-1-15 or later. (ICD-9 codes will continue to be used for encounters with dates of service earlier than 10-1-15.)

Is UMHS ready for ICD-10?

Yes. Over, the past few years, we have made the necessary investments in our information technology, our processes, and our people to prepare for ICD-10. We expect to make the ICD-10 transition with modest and manageable impacts. There is some risk of disruptive impacts to the healthcare industry as a whole, and we will monitor and respond to these impacts as appropriate.

If you have any concerns about the ICD-10 transition, please contact one of the resources listed at the end of this article.

What is ICD-10?

ICD-10 is a new version of codes used to identify diagnoses and procedures. ICD-10 replaces ICD-9, which has been in use for more than 30 years. ICD-10, like ICD-9, will be used to code diagnoses for all types of patient care services.

The new code set allows for the capture of more detail and can easily be expanded as medical understanding and technology changes. ICD-10 will provide public health benefits and can support new healthcare payment mechanisms which are increasingly reliant on diagnosis coding to convey the patient condition.

The use of ICD-10 is a federal mandate under HIPAA.

When is ICD-10 effective?
In general, ICD-10 will be used for claims with dates of service or discharge on or after October 1, 2015. 

However, providers using MiChart have been required to select ICD-10 compatible codes when entering diagnoses since July 29, 2015.  Non-providers (and pharmacists) have been required to do so since September 2, 2015.  The intervals prior to October 1 will allow affected MiChart users to become more comfortable with the required detail before ICD-10 codes are used in actual claims.

Note that the effective date for ICD-10 has been delayed multiple times but we do not expect any further delays.

How do I get more information?

• Talk with your supervisor.
• Review the MiChart tip sheets available concerning the changes to diagnosis capture in MiChart.
• Click on this link to access “Important information on ICD-10 for your department.”
• Visit the UMHS ICD-10 website.
• Send questions to the UMHS ICD-10 mailbox:  UMHS-ICD10-Project-Team@med.umich.edu