Dive Brief:

• The delay to ICD-10 conversion provided last spring by the Department of Health and Human Services has apparently hampered forward progress for providers, according to a new survey by the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange.
• The organization received 500 responses from providers, vendors and health plans. It found that smaller providers were more apt to be struggling with moving forward. Most weren't sure when they would perform an impact assessment and don't plan to begin external testing until 2015.
• The organization has called upon HHS and all other stakeholders to work together to assist providers, particularly smaller ones, to continue progress on implementation.

Dive Insight:

"It appears the delay has negatively impacted provider progress, causing two-thirds of provider respondents to slow down efforts or place them on hold," said WEDI chairman Jim Daley in a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell. "While the delay providers more time for the transition to ICD-10, many organizations are not taking full advantage of this additional time."

Other studies have borne similar results, finding that many providers are simply not ready for the transition. Many hospitals and larger systems are moving forward, but smaller providers and physician's offices are still struggling. But with so much information on the transition available from groups like WEDI, which has a dedicated ICD-10 page that includes tools, road maps and issue briefs, there is little excuse for providers not to continue moving forward with implementation.

Need a laugh after that? You may enjoy this story about the 16 most absurd ICD-10 codes.