ICD-10 and Radiology: What to Expect

Radiology relies heavily on correct front-end data to prevent back-end delays. With ICD-10 implementation approaching, it’s important to address what type of effects these changes will have on radiology.

Increases in Billing Codes

In a recently published article from the Journal of the American College of Radiology, it was noted that in addition to a dramatic increase in the number of frequently used billing codes, radiology will also major changes in some areas of the new diagnosis coding system.

Specifically, the radiology imaging subspecialties codes will experience a major expansion.

Currently, the billing codes for radiology are increasing by 6 times. If that isn’t already a scary increase, the research published documented that within radiology, the musculoskeletal imaging codes will experience a 30-fold increase. This is especially troublesome because this increase in musculoskeletal imaging codes are all frequently-used codes.

(Learn about the consequences of coding errors)

Prioritize Commonly-Used Codes

These significant changes can be quite scary for a medical practice. The very last thing any practice wants to occur is a back-end delay.  Back-end delays could equate to paperwork hold-up, late payments, and even lower revenue cycles.

The most proactive way to work on preventing ICD-10 coding mistakes from causing back-end delays is to prioritize.

Make an internal assessment of your most frequently-used codes. Determine what section those codes lie under. Compare your frequently-used coding sections to the sections of radiology that will experience the most expansive coding changes.

Once you have determined these factors, you can prioritize where you need to be spending most of your educational energies. By working hard to develop a strong and thorough knowledge of these coding categories prior to the fast-approaching ICD-10 implementation, you will hopefully face a smoother transition.

Outsource to a Medical Coding Company

Unfortunately, ICD-10 implementation is less than a month away. With radiology experiencing such an incredible increase in codes, it would be nearly impossible to be properly educated by October 1st, especially if you are only starting now.

Even practices who have been studying ICD-10 for a long time will have trouble providing perfect codes for at least a few months. Inevitably, back-end delays will happen.

The best way to ensure your practice continues running as smoothly as possible is to outsource to a medical coding company. Medical coding companies are perfectly prepared for this enormous transition.

Practices who code within generally have coding employees that have multiple duties. Because professional medical coders code all day, they have had more time to focus on the new changes.  By hiring a medical coding company, practices gain more time to do other important tasks and will experience a smooth ICD-10 transition.

Are you interested in working with a medical coding company? Contact us today.