While the American Hospital Association's reaction to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' announcement of a new ICD-10 deadline was somewhat subdued, the American Medical Association has taken a stronger stance.
AHA Director of Policy Chantal Worzala, in a statement released shortly after the announcement, said her organization "appreciates the notice from CMS," but urged quick action by federal officials to ensure understanding of the delay's implementation for hospitals.
Meanwhile, AMA President Ardis Dee Hoven reiterated that her organization considers ICD-10 to be "an unfunded mandate." While she said the postponement will give physicians more time to work with vendor partners on updates and to train staff, she also said that AMA has "deep concerns" about the burdens of the transition on doctors.
AMA also called on the healthcare industry, at large, to use the additional year to conduct more testing. CMS, however, already has canceled end-to-end testing scheduled for this summer.