Pulmonology Coding Alert

Fresh implementation date eases pressure on practices to adapt to the new code set.

If you were worried that your practice is not yet ready to implement the new ICD-10 codes, you can now relax a bit, as CMS has officially set Oct. 1, 2014 as the implementation date.

That's one year later than the October 2013 date by which pulmonary practices (and other practices) previously had been preparing to implement their new diagnosis coding systems.

Many provider groups have expressed serious concerns about their ability to meet the Oct. 1, 2013, compliance date, CMS said in a release last spring, when the delay was first proposed. The one-year delay is meant to give providers and other covered entities more time to prepare and fully test their systems to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition to this new code set.

"This should not be taken for granted. Practice readiness should still be underway without delay, and without the misconception that the implementation process can slow down," says Carol Pohlig, BSN, RN, CPC, ACS, senior coding and education specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Medicine in Philadelphia. "It will take all the necessary time to modify systems, revise billing practices, train providers and staff, and test the system, making adjustments as needed."

Resource:The change was announced in the Sept. 5 edition of the Federal Register, which you can read by visiting http://federalregister.gov/a/2012-21238.