Many states will not convert to ICD-10 for workers' comp claims

While healthcare providers and physicians may be scrambling to get ready for ICD-10, workers' compensation practitioners are not required to switch to the new codes, according to the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange, an advisor to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Workers compensation claims systems in about half the states are ready for the switch on October 1, while half are not, according to WEDI.

Those still using ICD-9 on Oct. 1 will be using a different coding system than the providers and vendors with whom they collaborate, which will lead to confusion, according to Risk & Insurance.

[Also: ICD-10 checklist: AHA releases step-by-step preparation guide]

WEDI has released data on worker's compensation readiness by state. Twenty-one states have adopted ICD-10 billing for physicians, hospital inpatients and outpatients, according to WEDI.

They are: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.

Three states have adopted ICD-10 codes for hospital inpatient billing only: Indiana, Maine and South Carolina.

[Also: With ICD-10 about a month away, healthcare providers say 'bring it on']

This leaves 26 states that have no plans for adopting ICD-10 for workers comp claims, unless there's a pending ICD-10 regulation: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Twitter: @SusanMorseHFN