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From Healthcare IT News on ICD-10 Codes:

The American Health Information Management Association leadership wants to be clear: Even though it will cost millions of dollars and the process is likely to be disruptive, U.S. healthcare must embrace a new, expanded code for diagnostics and billing.

Proponents like AHIMA and the American Hospital Association say the new code will bring the healthcare system into the 21st Century. It will also replace an ICD-9 code set that is broken.

“It could have serious, serious ramifications for our healthcare data,” said Sue Bowman, AHIMA’s director of coding, during this week’s AHIMA convention in Seattle.

“It’s pay me now or pay me later,” added Jill Dennis, AHIMA’s senior vice president.

With all the financial stress burdening health care, and the economy in general, why push for the 2011 implementation deadline? The cost to payers and providers will be in the billions of dollars not millions. And we aren’t even able to take full clinical and electronic advantage of the ICD-9 codes at this point! Also HIPAA’s 5010 changes will in addition cost the health care system millions as well. Let’s give the stakeholders at least some space and time to adapt and do it right.