Uncertain implementation date for ICD-10 could impact testing, budgets

Too long of an extension for ICD-10 could have negative consequences for budgeting and testing.

Too long of an extension for ICD-10 could have negative consequences for budgeting and testing.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has still not set a new implementation deadline for ICD-10, and that fact has left many providers and payers in the healthcare industry nervous about moving forward.

At an emergency summit meeting to discuss the new delay and what effects it will end up having on the industry, Sid Herbert, the ICD-10 program manager for the healthcare company Humana, cautioned that any delay longer than a year could have serious implications for the new coding system. Any implementation date set beyond October 1, 2015, would force many payers to effectively put off ICD-10 testing simply because it would no longer be an immediate concern. "Mothballing" the project in this way would mean that testing for ICD-10 compliance would only be reinstated about six months prior to the new start date, rushing a critical element of the coding upgrade's preparations.

But a delay in testing isn't the only consequence of a longer-than-anticipated extension. If ICD-10 implementation is pushed back by more than a year, clinics and practices will have to reevaluate what to do with their previously allocated personnel and budget in the meantime. This could leave many groups understaffed, underfunded and considerably unprepared for when a new deadline for ICD-10 finally is set.

If you're worried that your practice may be negatively impacted by the ICD-10 delay and all that entails, consider investing in new chiropractic documentation software. With the proper suite of tools, you can bring your chiropractic EHR up-to-date, ensuring compliance with ICD-10 without causing any impediments to your day-to-day workflow. Don't let the CMS' extension period throw your schedule off track.

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