By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: ICD-10 Delay: What You Can Expect Over the Next Year
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > ICD-10 Delay: What You Can Expect Over the Next Year
Hospital AdministrationMedical RecordsPolicy & Law

ICD-10 Delay: What You Can Expect Over the Next Year

Andy Salmen
Andy Salmen
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

ID-100250014The latest delay in ICD-10 implementation has caused both frustration and relief for people in the healthcare field.  Now that the official date for implementation is October 1, 2015, here’s what you can expect to see happening during this interim period.

Contents
  • Healthcare Organizations Taking Advantage of the Delay
  • Executives Lose Enthusiasm and Focus
  • Businesses Will Debate the Financial Impact of ICD-10 with Increasing Accuracy
  • End-to-End Testing Begins in Scattered Fashion

ID-100250014The latest delay in ICD-10 implementation has caused both frustration and relief for people in the healthcare field.  Now that the official date for implementation is October 1, 2015, here’s what you can expect to see happening during this interim period.

Healthcare Organizations Taking Advantage of the Delay

The primary purpose behind the several delays has been to give healthcare practices more opportunity to prepare for the transition.  A great number of companies have taken advantage of this most recent delay to go far beyond mere readiness.  Instead, they are investing more time in training their staff in the new codes.

This is not a question of simply learning a few new codes.  ICD-9 already had 17,000 codes and five positions.  ICD-10 will contain 69,000 codes and seven positions.  Even people already well-versed in coding practices need a considerable amount of preparation to learn the new codes and their various permutations.

More Read

Massachusetts Gets Ready to Tame HealthCare Costs
Assessing Med School Applicants’ Digital Footprints
“Orange Is the New Black”: What Prisoners and Patients Have in Common
CMS and Transitional Care Management Reimbursement Expansion
Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs: What are the Key Differences?

Executives Lose Enthusiasm and Focus

Unfortunately, not every organization is going to manage this transition well.  When the date for implementation was right around the corner, there was energy associated with the task of readiness.  Executives in charge of funding the changes bought in to the idea.  While some organizations will continue to use the extra time to improve their preparations, you can expect to see others lose momentum.

Businesses Will Debate the Financial Impact of ICD-10 with Increasing Accuracy

While ICD-10 has been touted as a coding format that will improve opportunities for revenue, more than one-third of organizations fear that it will negatively impact their income.  According to a survey of 349 healthcare organizations, conducted by the eHealth Initiative, only 6% of practices believe that ICD-10 is actually going to result in improved finances.

The extended implementation date will give more of these organizations time to accustom themselves to these changes.  As they become more knowledgeable about ICD-10, their opinions about its financial effects will become more informed.  If it appears likely that the new format will bring about lowered revenues, then these companies will at least have more time to prepare to absorb those potential losses.

End-to-End Testing Begins in Scattered Fashion

This same survey demonstrated that 40% of these same organizations were set to conduct end-to-end testing before the end of 2014.  Another 25% of the polled organizations plan to do so during 2015.  However, a full 41% of these organizations claim that they have no knowledge of how to conduct this testing.  More information on such testing through CMS is available on the CMS’ website.  

The coming year will certainly see many organizations bring themselves to full readiness for the transition to ICD-10.  Hopefully, even those that do not achieve full readiness will still profit from the delay by bringing their coding methods in line and preparing themselves for any financial impact.

Image courtesy of: Stuart Miles/ Freedigitalphotos.net

TAGGED:ICD-10
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

Hospital Stays
BusinessHospital Administration

Avoid Hospital Stays by Taking Care of Yourself

August 23, 2021

Why iPad EMRs are Better for Doctor Patient Interaction

April 11, 2016
unmet recovery needs
FinancePublic Health

“Unmet Recovery Needs” We Must Address

August 6, 2014
personal injury lawyer to help with medical debt
Policy & Law

What to Look for in Personal Injury Lawyers When You Have Major Medical Bills

December 23, 2023
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?