The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Press Room
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The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Press Room provides the media with easy access to up-to-date news on BCBSA, and its member companies.
About Us
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, that collectively provide healthcare coverage for more than 102 million – one in three – Americans. The Association is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Washington, D.C.
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BCBSA Briefing: Proposed Rule For ICD-10 Implementation Will Lead To Healthcare ‘Meltdown’ For Patients And Providers
September 4, 2008
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) hosted a press briefing on Sept. 4, 2008 with Alissa Fox, BCBSA Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Policy, on the potential impact of the Administration's proposed timeframe for conversion to 5010 and ICD-10 coding systems.
BCBSA supports the administration's move to 5010 and ICD-10 coding systems, but believes the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) proposed timeframes for insurers and providers to implement these massive changes are unworkable.
"The proposed timeline for implementation is completely inadequate," said Scott P. Serota, BCBSA president and CEO. "Rushing the process will result in a major meltdown in the healthcare industry including – unavoidably – inaccurate and delayed payments to providers and consumers, an inability to detect fraud and abuse, and unnecessarily higher total costs of implementation due to the accelerated timeline. We strongly urge the administration to adopt the recommended timeline advanced by the National Committee for Vital and Health Statistics."
The National Committee for Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), the official adviser on HIPAA to HHS, recommends a two-year timeframe for implementing the first phase of these changes – the 5010, which must be done before starting work on ICD-10. Then, they support three years for conversion to ICD-10. The NCVHS very clearly states that the implementation of the two should be done consecutively – not concurrently. If the NCVHS process were followed and started now, the soonest ICD-10 could be completed is late 2013.
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Press Release
Audio Recording of Briefing Coming Soon
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelly Miller
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
202.626.4825
kelly.miller@bcbsa.com
