ICD-10 Delay - Where the Industry Stands  

Category: ICD-10

By Shelly Guffey and Dawn Duchek

On April 9, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a proposed rule that would delay the ICD-10 compliance date a full year to October 1, 2014. There will be an official comment period for the industry to weigh in before HHS makes a final decision. Of course, providers and others impacted by the change have already been sharing their opinions on the impact of a delay. Here's what we've heard:

Many providers from smaller offices welcome a short delay of up to one year to help them get more prepared. These organizations hope to spend the extra time training their staff, getting their business processes in line, and recovering from the financial impact of the 5010 transition.

Meanwhile, bigger providers and payers fear the delay may be financially catastrophic, expecting an additional cost of approximately $1 to $6....