February 22nd, 2012
HHS has confirmed its intent to delay the ICD-10 compliance deadline,. “We have heard from many in the provider community who have concerns about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead,” HHS Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius said in the press release. “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 healthcare system.”
The American Medical Association (AMA) supports the delay. “The timing of the ICD-10 transition could not be worse for physicians as they are spending significant financial and administrative resources implementing electronic health records in their practices and trying to comply with multiple quality and health information technology programs that include penalties for noncompliance,” said Peter W. Carmel, MD, president of the AMA.
Though the new deadline remains unclear, CMS confirmed CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner’s statement that the agency will use the rulemaking process when revisiting the ICD-10 implementation timeline. The rulemaking process can be lengthy, so it may well be awhile before a firm date is established.