The HHS (Health and Human services) finally made the proposal to adopt the new ICD-10 code sets along with the new X12 transaction standards. The recommendation is to make it effective October 1, 2011.
This is obviously huge, more drastic than moving to the IPv4 or even Y2K. This will impact pretty much every one in the healthcare value chain: The providers (their practice management systems and EMR and billing systems need to adopt the new codes), the payers (the core claims processing systems need to change and the government regulatory bodies. As if the burden on payers and providers to adopt new IT systems is not enough this mandate will financially impact everyone alike.
The original standard from WHO
But wait! Even though the original standard was developed more than a decade ago, the industry is already debating whether this is about time or whether this is totally unworkable! Read the article debating this point.
Any change is difficult. Not only this proposed new standard will address many of the short comings with the current ICD-9 codes but also will allow for newer business models like pay-for-performance (P4P). From technology point of view, new systems will be in demand that will help payers and providers to go thru a transition phase (cross linking of code) while it will take a lot of systems changes to completely adopt the new standards. Sun will be offering enhanced identity and Integration suite products that will facilitate this adoption.
This is obviously huge, more drastic than moving to the IPv4 or even Y2K. This will impact pretty much every one in the healthcare value chain: The providers (their practice management systems and EMR and billing systems need to adopt the new codes), the payers (the core claims processing systems need to change and the government regulatory bodies. As if the burden on payers and providers to adopt new IT systems is not enough this mandate will financially impact everyone alike.
The original standard from WHO
But wait! Even though the original standard was developed more than a decade ago, the industry is already debating whether this is about time or whether this is totally unworkable! Read the article debating this point.
Any change is difficult. Not only this proposed new standard will address many of the short comings with the current ICD-9 codes but also will allow for newer business models like pay-for-performance (P4P). From technology point of view, new systems will be in demand that will help payers and providers to go thru a transition phase (cross linking of code) while it will take a lot of systems changes to completely adopt the new standards. Sun will be offering enhanced identity and Integration suite products that will facilitate this adoption.