How will productivity standards shift in the face of ICD-10?
As if you don’t have enough to worry about between staying on top of CMS guidelines and different reporting rules for various payers, now you face the challenge of learning and assigning ICD-10 codes while meeting strict productivity standards. Will these standards change once we get closer to the October 1, 2013 implementation date? Will coders be held to unrealistic expectations in maintaining productivity standards? And if the pressure to code a certain number of records in a given day revolves around getting paid, how will providers get paid when the accuracy of the coding is compromised by the rush to get the bills out the door? How do you think productivity standards will change at your practice or facility?
About the Author: Doreen V. Bentley, CPC-A, is the Managing Editor of JustCoding.com, which provides coders, coding supervisors, and health information management (HIM) directors with educational resources to test their coding knowledge, employ correct coding guidelines, and stay abreast of CMS transmittals.
