Led by an instructor / facilitator and includes all materials including textbooks.

Instructor-Facilitated programs have open enrollment in which students can sign up at anytime. Students can proceed as fast or slow as they want. An instructor / facilitator reviews student work and progress and is a subject matter expert in the field of study.

These online programs are designed by a team of professionals from each respective field, who work to provide the most effective web-based learning experience available today. Instructors/facilitators are actively involved in your online learning experience. They respond to any questions or concerns, as well as encouraging and motivating you to succeed.

Each program includes a set of lessons and evaluations; grades are a combination of the instructor/mentor's evaluation of students' work and computer-graded tests. We know you'll appreciate the quality as well as the convenience of anytime, anywhere learning!

Knowledge of medical terminology as well as understanding of accounts receivable management, coding, billing, revenue cycles and reimbursement is recommended, but not required.

This training program is for anyone in the Healthcare Industry who needs (or wants) to know what changes are in store for ICD and the impacts to providers of care and healthcare facilities.

Medesun provides complete training material for ICD-10 Analyst Training program and no additional investment is required for buying books or online study material.

1) What is ICD-10 and what are its implementation deadlines?

ICD stands for International Classification of Diseases. Developed by World Health Organization, it provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or disease. Under this system, every health condition can be assigned to a unique category and given a code.

ICD 10 is the 10th revision in the ICD series. Work on ICD-10 began in 1983 and completed in 1992. ICD-10 was endorsed by the Forty-third World Health Assembly in May 1990 and came into use in WHO member states from 1994; the classification is the latest in ICD series.

The implementation date for using Clinical Modification ICD-10-CM for diagnosis coding and Procedure Coding System ICD-10-PCS for inpatient hospital procedure coding is October 1. 2013.

2) Why is United States transitioning to ICD-10?

There are a number of reasons for US to move to ICD-10. The present revision, ICD-9, is around 30 years old. With rapid development in the field of medicine and multiple new discoveries in the past three decades coupled with advances in the field of medicine, there are no numbers that could be assigned in the present revision for these diagnoses. Also the better data provided by ICD-10 CM & PCS will lead to improved patient safety, analysis of disease pattern, quality of care and treatment outcomes that can advance medical care as also improve reimbursement methodologies. Since the rest of the world is already using ICD 10 codes now, switching to ICD-10 will enable us to compile, share, and compare data, disease information and mortality and morbidity data accurately.

3) Why is it necessary to get trained now?

ICD-10 implementation is compared to the Y2K problem by industry experts. By implementation date of October 1, 2013, every physician office and hospital need to get trained and implement ICD-10 to be compliant and reduce/prevent the claim denials.

The time is NOW to prepare for migration from ICD-9 to ICD–10, as it will not be without challenges, that is the reason information, education and advance planning are critical to success. The process of implementing ICD-10 is not only complex but it will affect every aspect of the medical practice and reimbursement. If you start your planning process now, issues can be identified and resolved early on, making the final transition stress free and successful.

Also with significant change and increase in the codes, many experts recommend starting preparation at the earliest. As always, "PREPARATION IS KEY TO SUCCESS.” A well-planned, well-managed implementation process will increase the chances of a smooth, successful transition.

There is a lot of scope and job opportunities for the ICD-10 Consultants as the deadline nears. The day is not far when every entity involved in the healthcare industry will need to have an ICD-10 implementation manager.

4) What is the eligibility for the ICD-10 Analyst course?

ICD-10 Analyst course is designed for the Medical Coders and Billers who wish to train themselves to face challenges ICD-10 implementation as Consultants. Working knowledge of Medical Coding and Billing is preferred but not mandatory.

5) How long does it take to complete a program?

The course duration is 120 hours. The course is online, self-paced, and with your OWN start and finish dates. Online course content and practice is accessible until December 31, 2014 to help through the implementation schedule.

6) What are the advantages of the ICD-10 Analyst course?

ICD-10 Analyst course is comprehensive course designed by industry experts to make you a successful ICD-10 Consultant. The course includes ICD-10 CM and PCS Training, GEM Files Explanation and Implementation Tips, HL-7 Messages Interpretation, HIPAA, MS DRG versus ICD-10, and 30 Templates to make ICD-10 implementation easy.

7) What would be salary prospects as a ICD-10 Consultant?

ICD-10 Implementation is compared to the Y2K problem. Every physician office and hospitals need to implement ICD-10 to prevent the claim denials. Claims will be denied if the codes are not submitted with ICD-10 codes. According to the industry standards, starting salary is going to be around $60,000 per year, higher in some areas of the country.

ICD-10 Consultants can make $40-50 per hour for the consultancy services. Industry experts predict acute shortage of coders with ICD-10 expertise.

“I have heard from a good number of coders that they will retire before ICD-10 is implemented but I hope they are not serious,” says Kathy DeVault, a professional practice manager at AHIMA.

The newly-appointed president of the AAPC, Deborah Grider, agrees that veteran coders will be more important than ever for ICD-10. “The coders I talk to who are in their 50s, including me, will learn ICD-10 and help the new coders transition, because these coders are very used to rapid change in the industry.” Grider says, “I think the shortage will be widespread if we do not make sure we mentor new coders and welcome them into the industry.”

source: http://www.icd10watch.com

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8) Do I have to buy additional materials?

There is no need to buy any material. No further investment apart from the course fees is required. All course material is included in the course fees. You need to be a Member of HL-7 to get Version 2.6 for reference. Visit http://www.hl7.org to enroll as a member. Student membership cost is $140.

9) What are the GEM Files?

GEM files are acronym for General Equivalence Mapping files. They are the translation between the ICD-9 and ICD-10 Codes. GEM files are free for download. CODE TRANSLATORS are made using the GEM files. You will learn in detail about the GEM files and how to use GEM files for the Code Translation.

10) Can I pay in installments for the ICD-10 Analyst training?

Yes. All of our training fees have been tailored to suit each one of your need. You can select any one as your schedule of payment.

Plan-1: One time payment of $749 (Flat savings of $299 on original price of $798)

Plan-2: Start with $199 and then pay $199 for 2 months (Save $201 from original price on $799)

Plan-3: Start with $149 and then pay $59 for 11 months.

The training content and experience will be same irrespective of the payment schedule.

11) What happens when I complete the program?

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from Medesun.

12) Am I guaranteed a job if I take up the ICD-10 Analyst Training program with Medesun or MedicalCodingExperts.com?

ICD-10 Analyst training program will provide you with the skills you need to work as ICD-10 Consultant and Analyst. Our facilitators and career counselors will help you build your resume and the successful students resumes are forwarded as per the request of the potential employers. Medesun, medicalcodingexperts.com, its associate, facilitators, and/or its career counselors DO NOT GUARANTEE JOB. Medicalcodingexperts.com and Medesun encourages its potential students to research the job market in their area before registering for the training program.

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