Citing concerns from health care providers, federal regulators are delaying the compliance deadline for HIPAA’s ICD-10 code set rules, which had been scheduled for Oct. 1, 2013, the agency announced Feb. 16.
“We have heard from many in the provider community who have concerns about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead,” said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). “We are committing to work with the provider community to reexamine the pace at which HHS and the nation implement these important improvements to our health care system.”
The transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 code sets, required by the amended HIPAA transaction and code set (TCS) rules that HHS issued in 2009, was going to be a massive undertaking even before the health reform law added an aggressive new set of TCS mandates. However, delaying compliance means postponing the significant benefits that the detailed new code sets are expected to bring in terms of value-based purchasing and other initiatives.
The American Medical Association (AMA), which had been the most vocal proponent of delaying ICD-10, welcomed HHS’ announcement. “The timing of the ICD-10 transition could not be worse for physicians as they are spending significant financial and administrative resources implementing electronic health records in their practices and trying to comply with multiple quality and health information technology programs that include penalties for noncompliance,” said AMA President Peter Carmel in a statement. “Burdens on physician practices need to be reduced — not created — as the nation’s health care system undertakes significant payment and delivery reforms.”
However, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) had sought to dissuade HHS from postponing the deadline. “Any delay in the transition preparation for ICD-10 will both increase actual costs and may diminish the value of other [HHS] programs, including meaningful use” of health information technology, warned Dan Rode, AHIMA’s vice president for advocacy and policy. “Huge investments have been made in good faith since early 2009 to meet the current deadlines and accomplish the goal of quality, efficient health care through the use of quality information.”
HIPAA’s TCS rules are covered in the Employer’s Guide to HIPAA and Employer’s Guide to HIPAA Privacy Requirements.