RESTON, VA – Healthcare entities are falling behind recommended timelines for implementing the required ICD-10 code sets by the October 1, 2013 compliance date, according to a survey conducted by the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI).
The study, conducted this August, is WEDI’s fifth industry-wide survey on ICD-10 readiness since 2009. It included healthcare providers, software vendors, clearinghouses and health plans. Responses indicated that although some progress is being made, each segment of the industry is not keeping up with milestones, which would assure on time implementation by October 2013.
WEDI is concerned stakeholders will not have enough time to fully test software and processes to assure that they will be working correctly by the compliance deadline.
[See also: ICD-10 deadline extended two years to 2013.]
According to the survey, most vendors indicated that they expect to finish testing in 2012 and deliver products to customers by the second half of 2012. The vendors expressed confidence in delivering products in time for customers to meet the compliance date. Some vendors reported that their customers are not yet focused on ICD-10, so interest is low.
Most health plans have not completed a full impact analyses although the timeline recommends completion in January 2011. Approximately two thirds of the plans indicated that they would not be ready for external testing until sometime after the recommended date of January 2013.
Providers also reported being behind on completing their impact analyses, and three quarters indicated that they also would not be ready to test by the January 2013 recommended date.
[See also: ICD-10 countdown begins.]
Respondents expressed a common theme that other industry mandates such as implementing a new version of transactions and implementation of electronic health records was causing competition for budget dollars and personnel. Although organizations are aware of the diminishing timeframe, they are unable to devote their full efforts toward ICD-10 compliance. In addition, there is need for increased communication among trading partners and business associates.
“These results are showing that the industry is not progressing quickly enough on the timeline to assure us that they will be ready in October 2013,” said Jim Schuping, CEO and president of WEDI. “We would urge entities to increase their implementation effort or we will be facing an extremely difficult situation in 2013.”
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