Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Don't count on the delay quite yet, coding expert warns.

Ophthalmology practices have been wondering how to make contingency plans ever since HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Feb. 16 that the government would be delaying the deadline for ICD-10 diagnosis coding, but failed to designate a new implementation date.

Now CMS has nailed down its proposed new deadline: Oct. 1, 2014. That's one year later than the October 2013 date currently in effect. CMS announced the proposal on April 9 as part of a rule that also includes other HIPAA-related provisions.

"Many provider groups have expressed serious concerns about their ability to meet the Oct. 1, 2013, compliance date," CMS says in a release. "The proposed change in the compliance date for ICD-10 would give providers and other covered entities more time to prepare and fully test their systems to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition to these new code sets."

Provider Community Offers Mixed Reviews

Some practices are breathing a sigh of relief that they have an extra year to switch to ICD-10. But others say that they are frustrated that their intensive ICD-10 preparation is getting stalled at this late date.

The American Medical Association, which was a vocal proponent of an ICD-10 implementation delay, cheered the news. "The American Medical Association and physicians across the nation appreciate that CMS has proposed delaying the ICD-10 implementation date to October 1, 2014," said Peter W. Carmel, MD, the AMA's president. "The postponement is the first of many steps that regulators need to take to reduce the number of costly, time-consuming regulatory burdens that physicians are shouldering."

Don't write the new ICD-10 deadline in pen quite yet, though. "ICD-10-CM is NOT delayed until October 1, 2014," coding expert Lisa Selman-Holman notes on her blog. The new deadline is merely a proposal. "The healthcare industry has the opportunity to comment on the proposal and THEN CMS can publish a final rule," notes Selman-Holman with Selman-Holman & Associates and CoDR -- Coding Done Right.

The billions this delay is expected to cost providers may stymie the delay. "Only time will tell," Selman-Holman says.

You have 30 days to comment on the CMS proposal, which can be viewed in the Federal Register at http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2012-08718_PI.pdf. To submit your comments, visit www.regulations.gov and refer to "CMS-0040-P."