Due to the uncertainty surrounding the imposed deadline for ICD-1o implementation, the American Hospital Association (AHA) would like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to issue a final rule that includes a firm deadline so providers will have enough time to be ready by the date. Initially, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes CMS, proposed that the deadline for shifting to the new diagnostic code set be postponed for one year (from Oct. 1, 2013 to Oct. 1, 2014).

The uncertainty regarding the deadline is causing hospitals’ focus on ICD-10 to waver. “We are in an environment where the demands on providers are really great,” Chantal Worzala, director of policy for AHA said. “So there is a natural tendency to prioritize among all things you have in front of you. We asked CMS to finalize its rule as quickly as possible so we can go back to a state of certainty about the date.”

Read the article (InformationWeek)

aha, CMS, ICD-10