Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Delay could offer practices additional time to prepare for new diagnosis coding system.Just three months ago, CMS representatives firmly told medical practices that the ICD-10 implementation date would not be pushed back beyond Oct. 1, 2013 -- but what a difference a few months makes.The Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Feb. 16 that the ICD-10 implementation date will indeed be postponed. The agency stated that it "will initiate a process to postpone the date by which certain health care entities have to comply with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition diagnosis and procedure codes (ICD-10).""ICD-10 codes are important to many positive improvements in our health care system," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement. "We have heard from many in the provider community who have concerns about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead," Sebelius said. "We are committing to work with the provider [...]