ICD-10 Timeline Opponents Cite Costs

HDM Breaking News, October 14, 2008

Seeking a delay in implementation of the new ICD-10 code sets for health care claims, a coalition of organizations that includes the Medical Group Management Association contends the codes would be too costly to adopt quickly. The federal government has proposed implementing the codes by October 2011, a deadline the coalition describes as unworkable and expensive.

To support its argument, the coalition cites a study by Nachimson Advisors that found the total cost to implement ICD-10 at a 10-physician group practice would be $285,000. A three-physician practice would need to invest $83,290, while a 100-physician practice would pay more than $2.7 million to implement the codes, which are far more complex that the current ICD-9 diagnosis codes.

Moving forward with the current timeline will mean “physician practices will have to cope with a crushing burden of added costs, duplicative systems and confusion over health insurers’ coverage decisions,” says William Jessee, M.D., MGMA’s president and CEO.

The complete study is available at nachimsonadvisors.com.

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