Consolidated MD's ICD-10 Weekly Quick Tip

Online, December 13, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The perfect storm of healthcare reform, for now, has been quelled.

With the Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirement being delayed, physicians can now focus their energies on preparing for the October 2014, ICD-10 transition date. However, the question on most medical providers' lips is 'how?', and rightly so. The push to become prepared for ICD-10 is a massive undertaking and most providers are scrambling to even find the starting line. This has many physicians throwing their hands in the air and practically giving up. While your stress is noted and understood, giving in to it is only going to drive your practice into the ground come October. Instead, remove the stigma, clear the air, and develop a baseline from which to start from.

The stigma and fear associated with ICD-10 almost seems larger than the transition itself. Yes, the training and preparation necessary for the transition is enormous, but it is not insurmountable. The key is knowing which direction - from the dozen or so you are most likely being pulled in - to head. Every media and news outlet is giving you and your medical practice lists of ten to twenty benchmark items to prepare for and this inundation of information is overwhelming a lot of medical professionals, causing them to give up on preparation.

Which is business suicide.

The problem is, you can't develop steps two and three of your preparation process until you've developed step one. Focus on one issue at a time. Your time is limited as it stands - as it is with all medical providers - the last thing you want to do is spend the precious time you have pulling your hair out after making twenty point preparation checklists. Instead, pick one item, one benchmark, one deadline that you'd like to have completed and start there. When that is finished, move to the next. And so on and so forth until the metaphorical fog surrounding the ICD-10 transition begins to clear.

Consolidated MD understands the fear and stress associated with ICD-10, but we also understand that it is manageable with a few deep breaths and a dedicated action plan. As a medical billing company as well as a medical consulting company, we're faced with the same halt in business practices come October 2014. Our action plan is the same one we preach to our clients, take it step-by-step; worrying about all things at once is only going to cause nothing to get done.

If you do feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or simply at a loss when it comes to preparing for ICD-10, give us a call. We are here to help keep your doors open and that revenue stream flowing after October 2014 for your medical practice. Our consultants are ready to develop and implement manageable action plans for your medical practice in order to have you prepared for the ICD-10 transition deadline. For more information, visit our website at www.consolidatedmd.com, or give us a call toll free at (800) 933 - 5190. Let Consolidated MD show you why we are your solution on the business side of medicine.