MS-DRG countdown: Acquire, load, test new grouper

With the Oct. 1, 2007 deadline right around the corner, hospitals need to load and test the new MS-DRG grouper as soon as possible. The new grouper can be purchased from a variety of sources, including the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).

Ingenix also has an MS-DRG grouper available for sale. It is engineered for easy implementation and is co-engineered for virtually any technical platform, including Web services, Windows, Unix, Mainframe, AS400, Linux, and others. For more information, call 866-222-1298 or email msdrg@ingenix.com

Obtaining and loading the new grouper as soon as possible is vital given the Oct. 1 implementation deadline. Once installed, hospitals can pursue several initiatives:

1. Model the financial impact of the new DRGs and associated weights
2. Identify areas of focus for HIM training, by targeting specific clinical categories where specific CCs and major CCs appear to be undercoded
3. Identify areas of focus for physician training, to increase documentation of those same conditions

Implementation Guide to Severity-Adjusted DRGs
Ease your facility’s transition to MS-DRGs with the Implementation Guide to Severity-Adjusted DRGs. Help prevent reimbursement loss by learning how to segment each department in the revenue cycle and outline the roles. Get guidance on how to adapt to the new system as it relates to coding, documentation, reporting, physician documentation and other areas of the revenue cycle. Click here for more details.