ICD-10: Widespread Adoption

In mid 2015 Congress voted to make ICD-10 the new de facto medical classification list. While ICD-10 had been around a bit before this vote it's adoption rate was slow as health professionals, like everyone else, had a tendency to stick with familiar older programs. Following the congressional vote however even stalwarts began to appreciate ICD-10 a whole lot more. Following the vote a great deal information regarding the program was given freely to medical professionals all over the country. After educating themselves health care professionals began to support the newest revision. Now in the early part of 2016 appreciation and adoption of ICD-10 is nearly universal and growing rapidly.

Not So Fast

Although the vast majority of health care professionals have come to appreciate ICD-10 implementation was initially slow. This is why Congress voted to make October 2015 the deadline for implementation. Even those professionals whom wanted to adopt the new revision were hesitant due to the immense education they and their staffs would need. There were also financial costs to consider in implementing ICD-10 which made some practices and other professionals extremely apprehensive. Fortunately the deadline was met by a large percentage of health care professionals and while many are learning as they go, the efficacy of ICD-10 is far greater than its predecessor.

A Snails Pace

Smaller practices and those professionals operating on small budgets are still lagging behind the rest of health industry. Of those lagging behind approximately 21% are on track with prep and implementation while another 23% report lacking the resources necessary for implementation. While some find these numbers alarming, many professionals are both sympathetic and willing to be patient. While having the entire industry upgraded to ICD-10 would make things easier for everyone it is a process that takes time with or without congressional deadlines.

Low Cost And Assistance

In order to facilitate a faster move to ICD-10 both Congress and other health care professionals are developing assistance programs to help small practices and health businesses implement the upgrade. Fortunately the upgrade is fairly inexpensive, relatively speaking of course, and the upgrade begins paying for itself immediately by giving health care personnel greater control over their business and by reducing operating costs. Small practices need only to reach out to other providers for help. Most are willing to share information freely and point people in the direction of proper help.

Medical Billing Services California

Good Things Come In Small Packages

Sometimes bigger is indeed better though smaller offerings should never be overlooked. Take for example a recent study conducted by AmericanEHR. The study demonstrates that the biggest names in medical billing have some of the lowest numbers in terms of customer satisfaction. In fact many of the larger billing companies are being fired or bypassed completely in favor of the smaller and/or independent billing companies. As a result of these findings EHR satisfaction has been a hot topic in the world of medical billing with some of the larger providers unsure of how to win back or attract new clients.

Small Providers, Personal Services

Just as is the case with any other industry, larger billing companies are discovering that their cold impersonal approach to medical billing, while efficient for them, is unattractive to prospective clients and a real problem from existing customers. In today's quick tech driven business world it's very easy to lose touch with your client base and fall out of touch with the needs of real people. Small providers are winning people and companies over with their small business/personal approach to business. Giving their customers access to real people, user friendly technology, and quick solutions to problems, small billing providers have struck a nerve with those frustrated by answering machines, long waits, and ineffective and ostentatious technology.

The Beauty Of Competition

With smaller medical billing companies luring away business from their larger brethren it's only a matter of time before the larger companies begin to adapt. The word adapt however may be a bit of a misnomer here though as larger companies will, more or less, adopt the policies and practices of smaller companies in an attempt to push the pendulum back in their direction. Some may have success in adopting these practices but the little guys are usually much faster in their adaptations as their continued success is dependent on not hundreds or thousands of clients but rather every single one. This is the true beauty of competition; it pushes everyone to be smarter, more efficient, and fast.