No more extensions are expected on the ICD-10 implementation deadline, according to leadership of the Senate Finance Committee.
Based on information released in a Feb. 6 Government Accountability Office report, there is no reason to delay implementation any further, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Finance Committee chairman, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the committee’s ranking member, said in a joint statement.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
The GAO report examines efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to prepare for the transition to ICD-10 and to address physician concerns about the transition. The GAO found that CMS has completed all ICD-10–related changes to its Medicare payment system, though work still needs to be done to prepare for the transition on the state level for the Medicaid program.
“As demonstrated by this report, the provider outreach and responsiveness to stakeholder concerns from CMS have kept the agency on track to upgrade to the next level of health care coding,” Sen. Hatch said.
“CMS has taken unprecedented actions to help providers prepare for this change,” Sen. Wyden added. “We will continue to monitor the testing CMS is conducting as we near the Oct. 1 implementation date.”
The House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing Feb. 11 to review the ICD-10 transition readiness.