Survey: Delay of ICD-10 Will Be Costly, “Potentially Catastrophic”

A delay of new coding system ICD-10 could have a costly effect on practices, hospitals and other healthcare facilities, according to a survey by Washington-based IT vendor Edifecs and a report by Health Imaging.

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A majority of respondents believed the longer the delay, the more negative the consequences, according to the report. Ninety percent of respondents believed the deadline should not be moved more than a year. Questioned about a one-year delay, 58 percent of respondents said it would be “costly, but manageable,” compared to 37 percent who said it would be “beneficial.”

Twenty-two percent of respondents said a two-year delay would be “costly, but manageable,” while 56 percent said it would be “potentially catastrophic.” Only 4 percent said a two-year delay would be beneficial.

Many organizations responded by saying they have already contracted with consultants or hired employees specifically for the transition to ICD-10 and will now have to decide whether to cut those positions. More than 70 percent of respondents said they believe CMS should reimburse organizations for the delay.

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