Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Plus: CMS offers Medicare billing certification.

If you're hoping that CMS can offer insight into when ICD-10 might take effect, keep looking. The agency has no answers on this issue, which was ignited following its Feb. 16 announcement that ICD-10 will be postponed.

During CMS's March 5 ICD-9-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting, Denise Buenning of the agency's Office of E-Health Standards and Services, noted that CMS is "looking at all options" for implementing the proposed ICD-10 delay, but has not issued a plan of action yet.

Buenning said she understands everyone's "need to know" about any potential deadline changes as soon as possible, and said that the agency is gathering data to "determine the most appropriate, expeditious, and legal vehicle" that could make the change happen, according to a summary report on the CMS Web site.

Don't look for new crop of ICD-9 codes: Unlike prior years, where the ICD-9 Committee discussed scores of annual diagnosis code updates, no such list was present at this year's meeting. That's because the code updates effective last October comprised the final regular update to ICD-9-CM prior to the introduction of ICD-10. "Only codes for new technologies or new diseases will be considered for inclusion" effective Oct. 1, 2012, the meeting notes reminded practices.

To read the complete ICD-9 meeting summary report, visit www.cms.gov/ICD9ProviderDiagnosticCodes/Downloads/030512-ICD9CM-FinalSummaryReport.pdf.