Dive Brief:
- In the event that a possible government shutdown should coincide with the October transition to ICD-10, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says the rollout will go on unaffected.
- While outgoing House Speaker John Boehner vowed Sunday a shutdown would be avoided, concern remains about some Republicans passing a bill to fund the government that doesn't also defund Planned Parenthood.
- CMS said last week it will continue to operate its ICD-10 Coordination Center and claims processing systems.
Dive Insight:
The coordination center will not be impacted by the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30, CMS principal deputy administrator and chief medical officer Dr. Patrick Conway said.
“In terms of staffing, we do have the flexibility to ensure core operations are operational and in effect," he said. "And, obviously our payment systems are a core piece of the Medicare program that will continue to be fully operational."
He expects a continuing resolution would allow necessary programs to continue to function, and says CMS would continue to execute the ICD-10 transition.
Last week, ICD-10 ombudsman Dr. Bill Rogers posted a blog encouraging providers to contact him directly with any questions.