North Shore-LIJ creates outsourcing firm for ICD-10 coding

North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Great Neck, N.Y., said Monday it has created a new division called HealthForce to help other providers improve their coding in the runup to the ICD-10 rollout next year.

North Shore-LIJ officials said they created the unit to help other providers that may be struggling with contemporary coding guidelines. Effective Oct. 1, 2015, all providers and payers will have to use the ICD-10 coding system to bill claims. That deadline has already been pushed back several times.

Many hospital officials, physicians and coders have lamented the switch to ICD-10, arguing that changing the system requires major capital and manpower investment in a time when healthcare providers are already working on other technology projects such as meeting meaningful-use standards.

“With its vast expertise in medical coding, North Shore-LIJ brings enormous value in helping healthcare organizations understand the financial implications of this transition to ICD-10,” Frank Danza, North Shore-LIJ's chief revenue officer said in a release. “We are unique in the coding outsourcing business because we don't require clients to outsource their entire revenue cycle.”

Hospitals and health systems that contract with HealthForce will have access to more than 100 certified coders.

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