Donna,
Thanks for running through the steps, as this has been extremely helpful.
I think having a PM separate from the EHR is a definite advantage, especially if the EHR is not going to be ICD 10 ready to start testing before the October mandatory date.
Our clearing house will not start allowing us to start testing the ICD 10 codes until June, because the 3 big boys (Medicare, Cigna, and Blue Cross) are not going to be ready till then.
However, even with a nice clean submission at the clearing house level come June, we will be at the mercy of the payors.
Therefore, having at least several months to test the payors will be extremely helpful to minimize any reduction in cash flow.
I would think that if AC would like to continue to grow, keeping the cash flow steady and healthy to physicians utilizing AC is a must. The quicker AC is ICD 10 ready, the best we can all stay in business.
