On July 31, 2014, CMS issued a final rule moving the ICD-10 compliance date from October 1, 2014 to October 1, 2015, and requiring HIPAA covered entities to continue to use ICD-9 through September 30, 2015. The final rule follows the April 1, 2014 enactment of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (PAMA) (Pub. L. No. 113-93), which prohibited the HHS Secretary from adopting ICD-10 sooner than the new October 1, 2015 deadline.

According to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner,“ICD-10 codes will provide better support for patient care, and improve disease management, quality measurement and analytics,” as well as “help promote care coordination” for patients being cared for by multiple providers. In the final rule, HHS touts the significant efforts of the healthcare industry in preparing for ICD-10 implementation, and explains that it is adopting the “shortest delay permitted by law” to “preserve this momentum and encourage continued compliance efforts,” and also to “allow the industry to begin reaping the benefits of ICD-10 as soon as possible.”

For a copy of the press release, click here. For a copy of the final rule published in the Federal Register on August 4, 2014, click here.

Reporter(s), Kerrie S. Howze, Atlanta, +1 404 572 3594, khowze@kslaw.com.