ICD-10: Approaching the Finish Line

As mandated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-covered entities must use ICD-10 codes on claims and other health care transactions as of the Oct. 1, 2015, compliance deadline. 

Claim Submission Reminders

ICD-10 codes must be used on all claims with dates of service on or after Oct. 1, 2015, and inpatient institutional claims with dates of discharge on or after Oct. 1, 2015. As of the Oct. 1, 2015, compliance deadline, claims without valid ICD-10 codes, as required, will not be accepted by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK). Use of other codes, such as Current Procedural Terminology (CPT^®), HCPCS and Revenue Codes will not be impacted by the transition to ICD-10. 

Testing End Date: Aug. 14, 2015

We want to thank those providers who participated in our ICD-10 Testing Program. BCBSOK began conducting end-to-end testing of electronic claims submitted by selected providers in April 2015. Test claims were accepted through Aug. 14, 2015. 

Benefit Preauthorization Update

BCBSOK will begin accepting ICD-10 codes as of Sept. 21, 2015, for benefit preauthorization requests for services that will be rendered on or after Oct. 1, 2015. Prior to submitting a benefit preauthorization request, we encourage you to check eligibility and benefits through your preferred online vendor portal. 

Watch For Our ICD-10 ‘Special Edition’

ICD-10 is really happening, and we want to help increase awareness in the provider community. Later this month, we’ll be publishing a Blue Review Special Edition newsletter to spotlight key topics, such as the importance of training and refresher training, improving your documentation, tips for small practices and resource reminders.

Stay Informed

Many industry resources are available to help providers transition to ICD-10. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offers training modules for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and unique resources specifically created for small and medium provider practices, such as the Road to 10  and new Quick Start Guide.

Below is a list of external websites for additional information on ICD-10:

• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) 
• American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) 
• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) 
• America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) 
• American Hospital Association (AHA) 
• American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 
• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 
• World Health Organization (WHO) 
• Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) 

Also refer to these BCBSOK resources:

• The ICD-10 page in the Standards and Requirements section of our Provider website
• Our Blue Review provider newsletter
• Questions? Email us at icd@bcbsok.com, or contact your Provider Network Representative.

CPT copyright 2014 American Medical Association (AMA). All rights reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the AMA.