Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius today announced plans to postpone implementation of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition Diagnosis and Procedure Codes (ICD-10) by certain health care entities.
HHS will announce a new compliance date moving forward.
“ICD-10 codes are important to many positive improvements in our health care system,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We have heard from many in the provider community who have concerns about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead. We are committing to work with the provider community to reexamine the pace at which HHS and the nation implement these important improvements to our health care system.”
In spite of the postponement of the October 13, 2013 transition date, MBR believes it is still a good idea to continue to prepare for the transition to ICD-10.
Even though the transition is delayed, it will still occur at some point in time, whether it’s two months later or two years later. Still, MBR acknowledges that the delay is a good idea given the other pressing transitions that are currently underway, like the transition to the 5010 transmission format, which has many providers around the country clamoring for alternative revenue streams because of reimbursement delays due to the system change. Thankfully, the 5010 transition has not affected any MBR clients in the detrimental way it has affected many other providers around the nation. This is due, in part, to the preparation for the transition that was done by MBR’s software vendors prior to the compliance date, and MBR realizes that this readiness to comply will serve us all in good stead when it does come time to implement ICD-10. In any event, the change encompassed by the ICD-10 coding initiative will greatly benefit our current healthcare system in terms of greater data analysis capability, and the need for a better system is bigger now because of Accountable Care Organizations, meaningful use, payment reform and value based purchasing.
