ICD-10 Compliance Date Finalized to Oct. 1, 2014

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule on ICD-10 on Aug. 24. The rule finalizes the proposed one-year delay – from Oct. 1, 2013, to Oct. 1, 2014 – in the compliance date for use of the ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes. The adoption of the one year delay is a direct response to the advocacy of the American Medical Association (AMA).

Since the AMA’s House of Delegates adopted policy in Nov. 2011 to work to stop the implementation of the ICD-10 code set, the AMA has pressed hard for CMS to reconsider its plans to replace the current ICD-9 code set with ICD-10, which is far more complex and costly.

While the AMA has successfully laid out important reasons for stopping the implementation of ICD-10, outright repeal of ICD-10 has been a divisive issue for the health care industry.

However, without the AMA's work, physicians would be facing a 2013 not a 2014 implementation date and this is the second time that the AMA has succeeded in delaying ICD-10 implementation. The AMA has communicated to the OSMA that they will continue to press for further reduction in ICD-10 physician reporting burdens.

Click here for a news release from the AMA on the final rule or here for the ICD-10 final rule itself.

The OSMA will continue to be a resource for Ohio physicians in ICD-10 implementation. Click here for more information on the topic from OSMA Consulting Services and check back in early 2013 for training and education opportunities from the OSMA.

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