The ICD-10 implementation date was delayed not once or twice, but three times. And during that delay, global plans to move forward to ICD-11 are already in the works.
The U.S. is set to transition to ICD-10 on Oct. 1, barring any last minute delays. Industry opinion is largely in favor of completing the transition this year, and a report from the Government Accountability Office indicates CMS is ready to handle the switch.
However, the World Health Organization has indicated it has already initiated preparations to transition to ICD-11. The WHO coordinates implementing the coding systems, according to MedPage Today.
According to a WHO release, ICD is undergoing a revision, and a project release date for ICD-11 is 2017.
Sue Bowman, senior director for coding policy and compliance at AHIMA, told MedPage Today that is still difficult to say how different ICD-11 will be from ICD-10 since it is still being developed, though both will be alphanumeric. Ms. Bowman also said providers can't skip directly from ICD-9 to ICD-11. "ICD-10 is definitely the path to get to ICD-11; ICD-9 is definitely not the path to get to ICD-11," she told MedPage Today.
So when will the U.S. transition to ICD-11? If it's any indication, ICD-10 was first endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 1990 and was used by WHO Member States in 1994. The U.S. is just now getting around to implementing the "new" coding system.
Ms. Bowman told MedPage Today she anticipates the U.S. will use ICD-10 for at least 15 to 20 years before taking up ICD-11.
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