The ICD-10 delay to October 1, 2015 has negatively impacted provider progress causing two-thirds of providers to slow down efforts or place them on hold altogether, according to recent Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) industry preparedness survey results. The survey reveals that while the ICD-10 delay was supposed to provide healthcare organizations more time to be prepared to the ICD-10, many organizations are failing to take advantage of the additional time.
In a detailed letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, Jim Daley, WEDI chairman warned: “Unless all industry segments make a dedicated effort to continue to move forward with their implementation efforts, there will be significant disruption on Oct 1, 2015.Delaying compliance efforts reduces the time available for adequate testing, increasing the chances of unanticipated impacts to production.”
The annual WEDI ICD-10 survey involved more than 514 respondents, 324 of those respondents were providers included a mix of many different types, with almost one-half being health systems/hospitals and over one-third being physician practices.
Other provider key findings from the survey include:
– Over half of providers have indicated they had completed their ICD-10 impact assessment. Further analysis shows that four-fifths of the larger providers had completed assessments, while three-quarters of smaller providers responded ‘unknown’ or that they expect to complete this in 2015.
– Further analysis shows that four-fifths of the larger providers had completed assessments, while three-quarters of smaller providers responded ‘unknown’ or that they expect to complete this in 2015.
– About one-fourth expected to test with the majority of payers, while slightly less than one-third expected to test with a sample of payers and one-fifth expected to test only with clearinghouses. About one-sixth responded ‘unknown.’
– About one-third of providers have begun external testing, but in the October 2013 survey about three-fifths had expected to begin by the middle of 2014. Over one-half responded either that they do not expect to begin external testing until 2015 or responded ‘unknown.’ Further analysis shows that for the larger providers over one-half had begun external testing, while for smaller providers most did not plan to begin external testing until 2015 or responded ‘unknown’.
– One-quarter indicated they had performed external testing with multiple payers. About two-fifths responded ‘unknown’ and one-fifth indicated they had tested only with clearinghouses. One-sixth had tested with only one payer.
– Respondents identified staffing, competing priorities, vendor readiness and IT impacts as the top obstacles that has caused delay and/or lack of progress in their ICD-10 planning and implementation efforts.
