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Ready for a whole new diagnosis coding system? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed Oct. 1, 2011 as the implementation date for ICD-10. Major changes include an increase in the number of diagnosis codes -- from approximately 13,000 ICD-9-CM codes to 68,000 ICD-10-CM codes.

Good news: Transitioning to ICD-10 won't be all that difficult for nursing homes, although they will need to change their in-house coding for the UB-04, says Janet Potter, a consultant with FR&R Healthcare Consulting in Deerfield, IL. "And they must make sure their software vendors will be updating on time, or check with a vendor about that when obtaining new software," she says.

"When the implementation date gets close, the facility will probably have some of its key personnel doing coding -- nurses and medical records staff, for example -- attend coding seminars. Those individuals can then do some in-house training."

Resources: Check out the ICD-10-CM codes on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/otheract/icd9/icd10cm.htm). To read the proposed rule for ICD-10, see http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-19298.htm.

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