HHS initiating a process to postpone the compliance date for ICD-10

In an news release published Feb 16, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced that HHS is initiating a process to postpone the compliance date for the use of International Classification of Disease, 10^th Edition (ICD-10) diagnosis and procedure codes.  The current compliance date, as mandated in a January 2009 final rule, is Oct. 1, 2013.

HHS cited the burden of implementation of the new code system on the provider community as a key reason for considering a delay to the compliance date.  HHS reported that it will work with the provider community to establish a new pace for ICD-10 implementation.  The AASM will continue to monitor this issue and will report the new compliance date when it is established.