Groups express support, concern over ICD-10 delay

The Department of Health and Human Services' Aug. 24 decision finalizing a one-year delay for the ICD-10 switchover has elicited both favor and concern among industry groups.  

The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), for example, is one organization that has expressed concerns over HHS’ decision to push the compliance date for ICD-10 – which includes some 155,000 codes for new procedures and diagnoses – back to Oct. 1, 2014, citing increased physician burden as a significant worry. 

“Despite the additional year for ICD-10 implementation, MGMA remains concerned that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has mandated this new code set without having undertaken the necessary due diligence to ensure it will not create debilitating cash flow disruptions for physician practices,” said Susan Turney, MD, president and CEO of MGMA-ACMPE.  

[See also: HHS announces one-year delay for ICD-10 .]

“We are not confident that critical trading partners, including Medicare and state Medicaid plans, will be ready in time to conduct testing well in advance of the October 2014 compliance date. We urge CMS to significantly escalate its implementation efforts by pilot testing ICD-10, ensuring health plan, clearinghouse and vendor readiness, and developing comprehensive educational resources,” added Turney. 

MGMA-ACMPE represents upwards of 22,500 members, both professional administrators and leaders of medical group practices, and more than 280,000 physicians. 

Other groups, however, have expressed support for the ICD-10 compliance date pushback. 

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), for instance, expressed positive sentiments regarding the ICD-10 delay. “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 Rich Correll. 

[See also: Finalized ICD-10 delay keeps process moving forward by keeping CFOs engaged.]

Back in April, CHIME submitted comments urging the CMS to keep the one-year ICD-10 delay, as they said anything longer would be disruptive to any efforts moving toward the change. “CHIME is pleased that CMS understood the importance of finalizing its proposed one year delay for compliance to ICD-10,” Correll added. 

CHIME is an executive organization, representing upwards of 1,400 CIO members and 70 healthcare IT vendors and firms. 

Other group responses aired more on the end of neutral acceptance.