Just 10 percent of Texas physicians are confident that their practice is prepared to transition to ICD-10 on Oct. 1, according to a new survey from the Texas Medical Association (TMA).
In July of 2015, Texas physicians were surveyed regarding their practice’s readiness to transition to ICD-10. Approximately 37,000 Texas Medical Association members and non-members with email addresses in the TMA database were emailed a link to the survey. The results are based on 936 responses. According to TMA, 97 percent of respondents currently treat patients in active medical practice. Among physicians who quit treating patients in active medical practice, 48 percent quit due to regulatory and/or administrative burdens and 22 percent quit due to ICD-10.
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of all physicians responding have little or no confidence that their practice is prepared to transition to ICD-10 by the deadline, even though the new coding system is supposed to enable doctors’ offices to collect and report more detailed patient data. “It’s horrible,” TMA President Tom Garcia, M.D., said in a statement. “The United States is the only country that couples the ICD coding with payment. The implications are that the doctor/patient relationship is going to be stressed.”
The survey found that few physicians have begun transitioning to ICD-10 extensively (7 percent). Physicians employed in hospitals are least likely to feel their practice has begun to transition to ICD- 10 extensively (3 percent). Even among physicians who feel very confident their practice is prepared to transition to ICD-10, only 42 percent report their practice has begun transitioning extensively.
Regarding training, 53 percent of physicians report the staff, and 46 percent report the physicians in their practice have taken ICD-10 preparation courses or training. Physicians in partnerships (34 percent) and the staff of solo practices (39 percent) are least likely to have taken preparation courses or training in ICD-10.
What’s more, older physicians are more likely to close or sell a practice and/or retire early in response to delayed or denied claims payments as a result of ICD-10. Physicians in the youngest age group (40 years and younger) are more likely to terminate or renegotiate plan contracts (34 percent).
Regarding electronic health record (EHR) status, 74 percent of physician respondents said that their practice currently uses an EHR. Among EHR users: 65 percent report their EHR is currently capable of handling ICD-10 codes; 29 percent of physicians whose EHR is not currently capable of handling ICD-10 codes are expecting an update; 15 percent of physicians report their will be a median cost of $10,000 associated with this update; and 1 percent of physicians report their software will need to be replaced.
The survey found that physicians fear the massive switch to the new coding system will disrupt patient care, and delay payment. In fact 83 percent of the doctors anticipate delayed or denied claims because of the transition, regardless of specialty. More than one-third of the physicians expect disruption so bad they will have to draw from personal funds to keep their practice open (36 percent) and almost one-third (30 percent) might retire early over anticipated cash-flow problems. (Almost half of the doctors age 61 or older might retire early.) Nearly a third (32 percent) might cut employees or reduce employee work hours or benefits.
Responding to the industry’s pleading, Medicare has said it will not deny doctors’ claims for one year whose ICD-10 codes are not specific enough, as long as the doctor submits an ICD-10 code from the correct family of codes. And if the doctor submits claims in the correct code family but are not specific enough, Medicare also will not audit those. Dr. Garcia said, “I asked for two years’ grace period but they only gave us a one year grace. I think it is going to take at least three years before this thing is finally settled down.”
