I am not an expert, so I just offer my opinion for stimulating conversation.
Medicare will lead the way in demanding more specific codes, when ICD-10 has more specific codes available. They will be the first to start rejecting payments.
Acute care visits will require drilling into ICD-10 with whatever tool we use. Chronic care will require monitoring to see if a more specific code is applicable. Orthopedics will be a nightmare.
I think they want to get a better synopsis of the patient's progress with the diagnosis codes instead of teaching a computer how to read a progress note. ICD-10 plus CPT codes will give the insurers a better gauge of our quality as providers.
