The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) wants to ensure that all its members are prepared for the new ICD-10 coding system when it is implemented on October 2014. There are numerous resources available for doctors in all specialties to learn this new coding. Call or email Terri Gonzalez, 919-833-3836, NCMS Foundation Director of Practice Improvement, and she can help steer you to the proper training.

Below is a listing of what is available between now and October.

·        The North Carolina component of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offers specialty specific ICD-10 training. Learn what e-learning options are available at their website.

·        The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also is gearing up for the changeover. On February 14, there will be a live webcast on best practices and available resources.  At this meeting, representatives from various health care sectors will share their perspectives on preparing for the October 1, 2014, ICD-10 compliance date. Panels will include health care providers, payers and vendors.

Please be sure to register for the live webcast sessions to hear CMS and your colleagues discuss important ICD-10 topics.

Date: Friday, February 14, 2014
Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET
Webcast Registration: Register to attend the meeting via webcast. A confirmation email will be sent to you prior to the summit with a link to view the live webcast sessions.

For detailed information on session times and discussion topics, please review the summit agenda. 

To help make sure you’re prepared, CMS has released a new MLN Connects™ video on ICD-10 Coding Basics. Sue Bowman from AHIMA provides a basic introduction to ICD-10 coding, including:

• Similarities to and differences from ICD-9
• ICD-10 code structure
• Coding process and examples
• 7th Character
• Placeholder “x”
• Excludes notes
• Unspecified codes
• External cause codes

CMS also offers a CMS ICD-10 website with the latest news and resources to help prepare for the deadline. Sign up for CMS ICD-10 Industry Email Updates.

Local offerings in North Carolina include:

The Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) throughout the state in conjunction with NCHIMA also will be offering classes leading up to the implementation of ICD-10. The ICD-10-CM training sessions will have a small part on the foundation for understanding the structure of an ICD-10-CM. The rest of the course will focus on how to code using ICD-10-CM, covering the ICD-10-CM coding guidelines. Emphasis will also be directed to codes that require expanded clinical documentation to code to the highest level of specificity.  

Dates for 2014 training are:

• Southern Regional AHEC (Fayetteville) – January 31
• Northwest AHEC (Hickory) – March 14
• Area L AHEC (Rocky Mount) – May 9
• Charlotte AHEC – May 13, June 19 and August 26
• Eastern AHEC (Greenville) – June 6
• SEAHEC (Wilmington) – June 24
• Wake AHEC (Raleigh) – August 12
• Greensboro & Northwest AHEC (Moses Cone) – August 22

 Mountain AHEC is offering ICD-10 training in March and April 2014.

• March 6, 2014: ICD-10-CM Overview for Physicians and Mid-Level Providers (2-hour evening class).
• April 14-16, 2014:  ICD-10 Certified Professional Coding Workshop- AAPC Exam Prep (3 days for coders).
• April 17 & 18, 2014: Specialty practice ICD-10 Coding: Family Medicine/Internal Medicine; Family Medicine/Pediatrics; OB/GYN  Three 4-hour sessions for physicians, mid-levels, coders, billing specialists.