The Hire Connection: ICD-10 Implications and Deadlines

There is currently quite a buzz in the healthcare community about the ICD-10 coding rules and its impending implications. The medical community has routinely contested new mandates that require major shifts in current practices, but few (if any) have been with as much contention as the new ICD-10 requirements.

What Is ICD-10?

ICD-10 is an abbreviated term for the tenth version of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases. It will replace ICD-9, a set of roughly 14,000 codes that were used to classify all symptoms, diagnoses, and procedures associated with hospital care in the United States. ICD-9 was established over thirty years ago, however, and its coding system is out-of-date. ICD-10 is compatible with today's latest medical capabilities and will be able to help physicians diagnose their patients with more detail.

Why The Opposition?

In order to accommodate the incredible medical advancements we have seen over the last thirty years, ICD-10 is far more complicated than ICD-9. ICD-9 used a system that involved approximately 14,000 codes; ICD-10 uses roughly 69,000. In order to prepare for such a massive adjustment, many healthcare facilities are having to hire administrative specialists who understand the new codes. Funding these additional salaries takes more resources away from direct patient care.

Between these new employees, the new training, and the new software that will be required, the American Medical Association (AMA) estimates that small practices can expect to spend anywhere from $56,639 to $226,105 in order to make the switch to ICD-10. Because of the intense opposition, the AMA is continuing to fight for a repeal of ICD-10, but physicians are nevertheless encouraged to prepare for the implementation deadline.

When Will ICD-10 Take Effect?

ICD-10 was originally supposed to be implemented in October of 2014. In response to overwhelming opposition from both the AMA and other medical groups, however, President Obama signed a bill that pushed the implementation date back to October 1st, 2015.

Some people may be surprised to learn that ICD-10 has actually been in the works for a few decades. The World Health Organization actually began working on the program in 1983 and finalized it in 1992. Other countries were more quick to adopt the new program, with Australia leading the charge in in 1998. Canada was next in 2000, and many European countries soon followed suit.

All things considered, the United States has taken a surprisingly long time to jump on the bandwagon. This delay is most likely due to the United States' complicated healthcare system that is largely influenced by many powerful special interest groups. Our implementation date may also have been pushed back because American physicians are currently facing many other federal technology requirements as well; ICD-10 may have been met with greater opposition by American physicians who simply do not have the time and/or resources to meet yet another requirement.

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The Hire Connection Team