Study: CMS code changes will increase costs

CMS' proposed upgrades to the current International Classification of Disease codes, or ICD-9, will be more expensive to implement than expected, according to a study commissioned by Nachimson Advisors.

The study found that the cost of upgrading to the new codes, called ICD-10, for a 10-physician office will be more than $285,000. Nine associations of providers and the American Academy of Professional Coders called for the upgrade deadline to be extended, but the American Health Information Management Association said postponing the deadline for the upgrades will only increase costs.

The current deadline for adopting the new codes is Oct. 1, 2011, and CMS will accept comments on the proposed changes through Oct. 21.

For more:
- check out this Government HealthIT story
- read the Nachimson Advisors' study