The American Health Information Management Association has called for the Department of Health and Human Services to announce Oct. 1, 2015, as the new implementation date for ICD-10 as soon as possible.

 

"While the transition to ICD-10 remains inevitable, it is extraordinarily difficult for organizations to make the proper preparations and investments without knowing the implementation date," said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon. "The announcement of the new implementation date will give the industry the clarity necessary to prepare in the most cost-effective, prudent and strategic way."

 

[See also: ICD-10 delayed, doc pay patched again and ICD-10 delay rattles industry groups.]

 

In the letter to Marilyn Tavenner, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Coalition for ICD-10, which represents organizations from across the healthcare community, makes the case that a new compliance date is needed quickly in order to maintain the momentum already made on the way to ICD-10.

 

"By allowing for greater coding accuracy and specificity, ICD-10 is key to collecting the information needed to implement healthcare delivery innovations such as patient-centered medical homes and value-based purchasing," the coalition argued. "ICD-10 will enable better patient care through better understanding of the value of new procedures, improved disease management, and an improved ability to study and understand patient outcomes, yielding benefits to patients far beyond cost savings."

 

In addition to AHIMA, the signatories for the ICD-10 coalition letter included the Advanced Medical Technology Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, American Medical Informatics Association, BlueCross Blue Shield Association, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, Health IT Now Coalition, Medical Device Manufacturers Association and 3M Health Information Systems.