ICD-10 Diagnostic and Procedural Coding System Delay

On February 16, 2012, Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius announced that the federal government will delay for an unspecified time the implementation date for the ICD-10 diagnostic and procedural coding system.  ICD-10, which has been widely used in many other countries for years, was scheduled to replace ICD-9 in the United States in October 2011.  During the 2008 public comment period, providers received a delay until Oct. 1, 2013.  According to the press release, federal officials are acting on providers’ concerns “about the administrative burdens they face in the years ahead.”  HHS said it will “announce a new compliance date moving forward.”