AHIMA Statement on ICD-10 Final Rule Announcement

AHIMA applauds the confirmation by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of October 1, 2015, as the compliance date for ICD-10-CM/PCS. Now, everyone in the health care community has the necessary certainty to move forward with their implementation processes, including testing and training.

As a long-time supporter of ICD-10, AHIMA is pleased that patients and other stakeholders will soon experience the benefits of a modern and robust coding system with greater specificity about diagnoses and procedures. In addition, ICD-10 will provide improved information for multiple purposes such as population and public health and research. ICD-10 will help maximize the return on investment of  national initiatives such as EHRs, meaningful use, and performance measures, which will ultimately lead to improved patient care and better health outcomes at reduced costs.

Regardless of where an organization is in the implementation process, AHIMA is available to help with information, training, and technical assistance and support. We maintain our commitment to be a resource for all stakeholders and will continue our work with public sector agencies, along with industry partners such as the Coalition for ICD-10, to ensure a smooth transition.

AHIMA is analyzing the full text of the final rule to further assess the potential impact on our members.

Source: AHIMA