Effects of ICD 10 Delays in Medical Billing Services

End to End Medical Billing Solutions
Call now 888-357-3226 (Toll Free)
http://www.medicalbillersandcoders.com
www.medicalbillersandcoders.com
Copyright ©-2013 MBC. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1 of 6
Effects of ICD 10 Delays in Medical Billing
Services
Delay in ICD 10 transition to 2015 has many unprepared medical practitioners
heave a sigh of relief and gave reasons for silent groans from the prepared ones.
While some had been heavily investing on preparations of ICD 10 transition,
others were still trying to grasp the proportions of change that the code brought
about. The delay will still have both, positive and negative effects of the ICD 10
coding change on both the practitioners. The probability of a new super bill being
launched in place of the planned ICD 10 coding guidelines is posing to be
troublesome for those medical practitioners who have spent thousands of dollars

Page 2 of 6
on preparation for the coding change. Following effects of the ICD 10 delay can
be seen in the healthcare industry in the months to come –
 Large hospitals and medical practitioners who have invested heavily in
adopting coding changes and have outsourced billing services functions for
smooth transition from ICD 9 to ICD 10 in October 2014 are bound to take
the litigation route in order to recover their investments.
 As the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula cuts were also impending
with ICD 10 launch, medical practices have been keeping funds aside for
financially viability. This is a fallback measure taken by practitioners should
an untoward event of unwarranted reimbursement cuts happen due to

Page 3 of 6
coding changes and SGR cuts. This has affected the overall profitability and
short term financial planning of many hospitals and independent care
providers. With ICD 10 getting delayed by another year and SGR still
remaining a confusing concept, medical practitioners are likely to rethink
their preservation and precaution plans for transition to the same.
 Patients were also likely to benefit in the event of ICD 10 coding launch as
there was potential for lesser coding errors, better claims settlements and
shorter processing times. It could have easily been a win-win for all
stakeholders including insurance carriers, patients and medical care
providers. This delay in ICD 10 transition is going to change the entire

Page 4 of 6
perception and approach of concerned parties towards healthcare
regulations.
 From a macro-sectorial point of view, ICD 10 delays can place the US
healthcare system below many other healthcare leaders in the world. With
coding changes pending at the most basic granular level, complicated SGR
and the delay of these transitions, US healthcare industry may start
crumbling under the politics and bureaucracy of coding rather than its
operational excellence.
 Even from the point of view of healthcare vendors and insurance carriers
this ICD 10 delay may be a last straw for their patience. Where most

Page 5 of 6
clearinghouses and insurance carriers depend on Medicare, Medicaid and
other government regulations on coding to define their reimbursement
rates, ICD 10 transition was going to be a major event. The delay in coding
change can escalate claims rejection rates in times to come as medical
practitioners are bound to be more confused with yet another format of
ICD 10.
MedicalBillersandCoders.com is a billing service provider which can help your
medical practice cope with this undue ICD 10 delay and prepare for the upcoming
super bill in healthcare. Our teams of medical experts and consultants specialize
in ICD 9 to ICD 10 transitions and can transform your practice in both, operational
and financial aspects by the time ICD 10 will actually be launched.

Page 6 of 6
Related Posts:
 How Can Outsourcing Solve Medical Billing and Reimbursement
Challenges for Physicians in 2014?
 How can outsourcing help you Deal with Shortage of Trained
Medical Billers and Coders?
 Eliminate the Burden of Medical Billing and HIPAA Regulations with
a Billing Company

Effects of ICD 10 Delays in Medical Billing Services

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Jessica Parker

More from Jessica Parker (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Effects of ICD 10 Delays in Medical Billing Services