On February 6, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) stated in a letter to the American Medical Association (AMA) that there will be no more delays to the ICD-10 deadline. The following day, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) submitted a letter to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Acting Centers for CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner in strong support for of the October 1, 2014, deadline.
Not all are in are agreement, the AMA and other groups have requested a halt to the ICD-10 implementation, citing burdensome or even devastating implementation costs for physicians. The first extension was granted back in September 2012 in response to opposition of the original October 1, 2013 deadline. As I blogged about last year, the decision was met with mixed reactions back then, too.
There is plenty of work to be done before the deadline hits—that is something we all can agree on! Ready or not, the October 1, 2014, deadline stands firm.
