Halamka, Stack share thoughts on possible ICD-10 delay
Another one-year delay for the implementation of ICD-10 has been added into the sustainable growth rate bill going to vote later today.
The ICD-10 delay was just added into the bill. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is urging its members to call their legislators to prevent the delay.
Hospitals already have invested a fair amount to prepare and "the hospital mechanism is ready," says John Halamka, MD, CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. A delay could force providers to extend their relationships with consultants, thereby making it more costly. However, it would allow more time to prepare. "I see both sides," he said. The transition is much harder for physician practices, he acknowledged.
"It's a mixed bag," agreed Steven Stack, MD, past chair of the American Medical Association. If the evidence shows that making the switch this year is "ruinous to payment systems, then policymakers will have to revisit" their decisions regarding Oct. 1 implementation.
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Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.