AHIMA URGES CONGRESS TO EXPEDITE ADOPTION OF ICD-10
Technology alone not enough, new classification system needed to reap full benefits of health IT

Washington, DC, July 27—In testimony today before the Subcommittee on Health of the House Ways and Means Committee, Linda Kloss, MA, RHIA, CEO of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), urged Congress to expedite adoption of ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS as part of its support for health IT and to improve the accuracy and consistency of healthcare data.

Coded health data serves as the foundation for billing, claims processing, payment and pricing. It is used for public health and quality reporting, bio-surveillance, research, pay for performance, provider credentialing and fraud detection. The current classification system, ICD-9-CM, developed and implemented in the 1970’s, can no longer capture today’s medical knowledge.

“Just think about how medical practice has changed over the past thirty years. The coding system we’re using today was developed in an era before MRI’s, before laser surgeries, before any of us had ever heard of AIDS or any of the medications used today to treat it. That is a real problem,” said Kloss.

In addition to being incapable of capturing today’s medical knowledge, the procedural coding component of ICD-9 has less than 70 remaining unassigned codes. This means that in the near future the system will run out of codes, requiring that existing non-discrete codes be assigned to new procedures. This will have serious implications for quality reporting, research and appropriate payment for advancements in medical technology.

“Adoption of ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS is an essential component of the health IT strategy being advanced by Congress and the Administration, not a diversion from it,” said Kloss. “Technology alone is not enough. We need to improve the quality of the data in order to reap the full benefits of our investment in health IT.”

Kloss urged Congress to require the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to publish a proposed rule and then a final rule for adoption as soon as possible. For a copy of Kloss’ full testimony, visit the association’s Web site at http://www.ahima.org/dc/testimony-icd100705.asp.

AHIMA is the premier association of HIM professionals. AHIMA’s 50,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. For information about the Association, go to www.ahima.org.