HHS Announced the Implementation Date of ICD-10 Code Sets
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that ICD-10 code sets will not be implemented until 2013. In the August 22, 2008, proposed rule, HHS proposed the compliance date of ICD-10 code sets to be October 1, 2011. However, the final rule, which was released on January 16, 2009, states that the implementation date will be October 1, 2013. The department pushed back the compliance date by two years after assessing the need of the industry based on the comments submitted to HHS and testimonies presented to the National Committee on Vital Health Statistics.
According to HHS, the 2013 implementation date will give the department enough time to develop Version 5010 for electronic transactions that accommodate the use of ICD-10 code sets. Version 5010 will replace the current X12 standard. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expects all entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to be in compliance by January 1, 2012. However, the rule provided an additional year to small health plans, which are expected to be in compliance by January 1, 2013.
The expanded ICD-10 code sets will enable HHS to fully support quality reporting, pay-for-performance, biosurveillance, and other critical activities. The new code sets are to replace the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), Volumes 1, 2 and 3 for diagnosis and procedure codes.
Further information may be obtained from HHS Web site at
www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=3407&intNumberperPage.
