The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its final rule officially setting the ICD-10 transition date for October 1, 2015. Asserting that the new date “allows ample time” for the healthcare industry to prepare for the change, the final rule confirms what the agency told the industry in May after the one-year delay was voted through as part of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014.n
“ICD-10 codes will provide better support for patient care, and improve disease management, quality measurement and analytics,” said Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator of CMS in a press release announcing the finalization. “For patients under the care of multiple providers, ICD-10 can help promote care coordination.”
nAfter being blindsided by the unanticipated delay, CMS has only provided sporadic updates to the industry as it reworked its timelines, testing, and transition plans. Earlier in July, six Congressional leaders asked Tavenner for details about any newly laid plans for the conversion even as healthcare providers have been largely forging ahead with education and technical activities on their own.nnThe final rule has been published in the Federal Register and is available in full here.nnSource: www.ehrintelligence.com; Jennifer Bresnick; July 31, 2014.