Yesterday, the HHS issued a rule today finalizing Oct. 1, 2015 as the new ICD-10 transition date, according to a news release. This deadline allows providers, insurance companies and others in the health care industry additional time to ramp up their operations to ensure their systems and business processes are ready to go on Oct. 1, 2015. The one year delay has financially impacted healthcare organizations costing an estimated range between $422 million for smaller providers and up to a whopping $3.8 billion for large provider organizations.
The final rule issued will include a commenting period prior to the publishing of the final to be waived. “We believe waiving normal notice and comment rulemaking requirements is justified,” the rule states, “because covered entities need to know how to proceed with respect to ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 now, or they will not have adequate time to prepare to accurately submit, process, and pay for health care claims.”
According to a statement from the AHIMA: “Regardless of where an organization is in the implementation process, AHIMA is available to help with information, training, and technical assistance and support. We maintain our commitment to be a resource for all stakeholders and will continue our work with public sector agencies, along with industry partners such as the Coalition for ICD-10, to ensure a smooth transition.”
The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Monday, August 4.
