The healthcare Industry as a whole is currently weighing its options after the recent announcement by Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius that the federal government may extend the October 2013 ICD-10 implementation deadline.

As of right now, no one knows what the time frame for the extension would be or who would be exempt from the exception. In addition, ICD-11 is fast approaching and expected to be implemented around 2015, just a year away if the industry were granted a one-year extension for ICD-10. This begs the question, if companies delay ICD-10 implementations now, how will they be ready for ICD-11? There are multiple options to weigh, which I will discuss in this blog post. (more…)

The last few years have seen tremendous changes in the business world; particularly the way customers, employees and partners are interacting and collaborating to conduct their business. Customers are making decisions to buy or discontinue a service with a click of a button. The “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) trend involves employees bringing their own smart phones and tablets to work, which is significantly impacting both IT and business. Brokers and agents are leveraging smart gadgets to speed up the business cycle by educating, building relationships and doing business with customers.  For example, using a tablet, an insurance agent can instantly run illustrations and compare premium quotes for insurance products simultaneously, making it easier for clients to see the various options. The “consumerization of IT” trend is having an enormous impact on businesses and is something they must take steps to embrace. In other words, the “empowered consumer” has arrived and is here to stay! (more…)

The deadline for ICD-10 implementation is fast approaching and healthcare Payers and Providers have less than two years to meet the requirements. Some healthcare organizations have yet to initiate their plans for the migration, some have progressed at a slow pace and very few have made substantial commitment to completion.

Payers on track with the ICD-10 implementation process should have completed the Risk/Impact assessment of their IT and business areas and started their planning activities. Based on our experience with previous HIPAA implementations, we believe there are a few areas that healthcare organizations need to consider to ensure success of their ICD-10 migration program. (more…)

We are quickly approaching the ICD-10 implementation deadline and most payers and providers are still in the planning phase. A recent HIMSS ICD-10/5010 Readiness Survey shows that while providers are making significant progress on ICD-10, it is generally at a slower pace than that for HIPAA 5010.

With less than 30 months left until the compliance date (October 1, 2013), healthcare entities will have to start taking stock, assessing their readiness and taking control of their planning activities.

Because the impacts of ICD-10 are widespread within and beyond individual organizations, it is very important to focus on these crucial first steps before embarking on the exciting journey of ICD10 implementation (more…)