We are always positioned to take a leading role in helping the post-acute care industry stay ahead of the curve. That’s why we are launching courses that help clients learn ICD-10, “The New Language of Care”.
Topsfield, MA (PRWEB) May 22, 2015
“It’s like learning a new language,” said Keri Hart, MS/CCC, SLP, RAC-CT, CHHRP-QT, Vice President of Clinical Operations/Education and Training at Harmony Healthcare International, “A very important ‘language’ that impacts how care is coded and reimbursed.”
Harmony Healthcare International, the leader in long term care reimbursement, operations and compliance consulting, as well as training and education programs and talent management, launches a new series of day-long seminars on the mandated ICD-10 Transition. All HIPAA entities must implement the new code set by October 1, 2015. Harmony Healthcare’s ICD-10 Training Course features a full day program aimed at helping skilled nursing facilities develop a roadmap to successful implementation. Attendees can earn the following Contact Hours: ASHA, AOTA, PT-State Specific, MARN and NAB.
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10th Revision was issued by the World Health Organization and adopted by member countries beginning in 1994. Here in the United States, the ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) was developed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NHCH). Nearly 68,000 codes comprise the new system and these codes will impact reimbursement, payor contracts and coverage determinations, assessment of provider performance with disease management, monitoring utilization patterns, criteria for inpatient vs. outpatient care, tracking illness severity, complications and mortality and public health tracking and reporting.
“It has been 30 years since the coding system was introduced in the United States,” said Kris Mastrangelo, OTR/L, LNHA, MBA, President and CEO of Harmony Healthcare International, “There are a number of issues with the current ICD-9 system including outdated language, lack of specificity, lack of room for expansion and the inability to provide details necessary to measure acuity or continuum of care.”
The ICD-10 transition improves a number of the issues that has been plaguing the ICD-9 system. By combining diagnosis and symptom codes, ICD-10 reduces the number of codes needed to describe a condition. Injury coding is expanded and specificity in code assignment helps clarify diagnoses and symptoms. Also codes incorporate laterality making it easier to identify whether the condition is on the left, right or bilateral.
“The ICD-10-CM uses three to seven digits as compared to the maximum of five in the ICD-9-CM,” said Hart, “In the new system, the first three digits identify the disease major category, the next three the etiology, anatomic site and severity and the last digit is an extension code used to identify the episode of care.”
The new coding system brings a number of improvements with its implementation. It makes it easier to monitor resource utilization across the continuum of care, helps reduce miscoded, rejected and improperly reimbursed claims and identifies and prevents fraud and abuse. All of these improvements lead to better clinical, financial and administrative performance.
Harmony Healthcare’s Summer schedule of ICD-10 Transition courses includes offerings in Topsfield, MA on July 21, 2015, New York City on August 6, Kingston, NY on August 7, 2015 and in North Haven, CT on August 10, 2015. Register at: http://hhi.hub.am/1IRsUZY . Additional courses and locations will be added throughout the summer.
“At Harmony Healthcare, we are always positioned to take a leading role in helping the post-acute care industry stay ahead of the curve,” said Mastrangelo, “That’s why we are launching courses that help clients learn ICD-10, “The New Language of Care”.
About Harmony Healthcare International
Harmony Healthcare International was founded in 2001. With headquarters in Topsfield, MA, Harmony Healthcare International services clients in the skilled nursing, acute care, home health and assisted living markets with operational and compliance consulting, training and educational programs and talent management services. With a staff of accomplished healthcare clinicians who serve as consultants to For-Profit, Not-For-Profit, Standalone and Multi-Facility Chains across the country, Harmony Healthcare International has been ranked among the top 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the U.S. for 3 consecutive years by Inc. Magazine. Harmony Healthcare International, “We care about care.”
Visit us at: http://www.harmony-healthcare.com/
Media Contact
Jon A. Di Gesu
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jdigesu(at)harmony-healthcare(dot)com
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