Feds delay ICD-10 medical coding deadline for one year

24.08.2012
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday the finalization of a rule that will delay by one year the deadline for healthcare providers to implement the ICD-10 medical coding system.

ICD-10, which is designed to better track diagnoses and treatments, affects dozens of core applications for healthcare providers and insurance payers.

The deadline delay was not unexpected as it was considering a deadline delay at the beginning of the year. The HHS, in February, said it was considering the delay in response to requests from healthcare providers who claimed they are already overwhelmed by requirements by 2015.

The ICD-10 delay moves the deadline from Oct. 1, 2013 to Oct 1, 2014, the date by which covered entities, such as hospitals and insurers, must comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10).

Not everyone is happy about delay. The (CHIME) published a terse response to HHS's rule, saying more delays in implementing ICD-10 would disrupt ongoing efforts to convert electronic systems. CHIME has 1,400 CIOs and 70 healthcare IT vendors and professional services firms as members.

"As HHS itself recognizes, a longer delay would significantly increase the costs of converting to ICD-10. Overall, CHIME applauds the efforts of HHS to quickly and decisively signal a commitment to ICD-10 conversion, and we urge the Department to develop a clear path forward, with benchmarks, so that healthcare industry stakeholders can make the conversion in 2014," said CHIME President and CEO Richard Correll.